The Oath
by Yuuhi
Summary: Fang and Vanille grew up together in the village of Oerba, best friends and sharing the same bed. As Fang departs the village with a hunting party, she and Vanille faces the prospect of losing each other forever...
1. I  First Dawn

"The Oath" is a fanfiction based on Final Fantasy XIII by Square Enix. All characters and situations other than my own are sole property of Square Enix.

I. First Dawn

The light rays of the sun slowly crept onto the face of a girl sleeping soundly at the corner on the lower bed of a bunkbed. The upper bed was empty, and so was the bunkbed next to it; the girl was the only one.

The girl frowned as the sunlight irritated her closed eyes. She mumbled incoherently and turned, straddling her right leg to the on the bed's left side, only to fall empty onto the soft mattress. The girl's eyes opened and blinked.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes before staring confusedly at the empty space next to her. She glanced at the other two bunkbeds and saw that they were empty too.

Where's everyone?

With her stomach growling, the girl jumped out of the bed and went down onto her knees, shoving her hand into the space under the bunkbed and pulled out a small box. Opening the box, she took out a fresh set of clothing and a pair of socks and placed it on the bed. Quickly, she changed out of her pyjamas and into the red top and white shorts.

She pulled on her socks and hurried out of the arch and to the doorway, where all the shoes were. Only her shoes remained. She bit her lower lip. Why was she left behind?

Putting on her shoes hurriedly, she opened the door and was about to rush downstairs when she heard a beeping sound. She turned and saw a robot rolling after her.

"Bhakti! Come along now! We are late!" the girl exclaimed to her pet robot, as she bolted out of the door. Bhakti the robot followed tightly, trying to keep up with its mistress to the lower floor where several voices could be heard.

At least a dozen people were seated at a large round table. They were laughing and talking, their bowls and plates void of food. A smaller group, made up of five adolescents, gathered at a smaller table at the right corner of the hall. They too, seemed to have finished their breakfast.

_/ Ah! My breakfast! Did I miss it! /_ the girl thought mournfully as she ran down the stairs.

Her loud footsteps alerted the people in the hall and they looked toward the stairs.

"AH! Our little princess is finally awake! The sun bit her lovely ass, I suppose!" a middle-aged balding man teased. The other adults at the large round table laughed, and the girl blushed.

"You guys didn't finish everything, did you?" she asked anxiously.

One of the adults knocked his spoon on a huge pot to attract attention. Then he proceeded to overturn the pot, and nothing came out of it.

"Gone! All gone!" he proclaimed proudly.

"No!" the girl groaned, and the adults laughed uproariously. "BEEP BEEP!" Bhakti said almost sympathetically at her feet.

A tall girl at the smaller table stood up and waved her hand.

"Vanille! Over here!"

Still blushing, Vanille hurried past the adults' table and joined the smaller table.

"You didn't wake me!" she accused.

The tall girl smirked. "I did, sleepyhead. But what am I to do if you refuse to wake? I can't possibly box you, can I? Besides…" The tall girl smiled slyly, "You have really bad sleeping habits… your leg nearly strangled me out of breath last night."

"AH!" Vanille nearly screamed, but quickly quieted when she felt the adults looking her way. Their company was already laughing.

"Fang!" she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Her face was burning hot, and she wasn't sure if that was because she was mad or embarrassed, or both.

Fang waved her hand casually. "Come now. Everyone knows that. I'm the only one who still dares to share a bed with you."

"HUH!" was all Vanille managed. Okay, so she woke up late and had no breakfast. And now Fang embarrassed her in front of their friends. She decided she would be angry at Fang, and not talk to her until the day ends.

Fang smiled. She reached under the table and took out a bowl of food.

"Sleepyhead, this is for you."

A broad smile spread across Vanille's face when she saw the bowl of food.

"OH! So you did keep some food for me!"

"Of course."

Bhakti turned several rounds with lights blinking excitedly, displaying happiness for its mistress. Everything forgiven, Vanille jumped onto the couch next to Fang and begun tucking in. Fang smiled, patting her gently on the head.


	2. II Noon Ray

II. Noon Ray

Fang swung her bag over the shoulder and looked at the first row of tables in the classroom, where Vanille was still packing her bag while chitchatting and laughing happily with her tablemate.

Very tall for her age and towering over most of her peers, Fang was assigned to the very last row in the classroom. Her strength also ensured her the ability to outmuscle any boys, even older ones. Oerba's village elders often said they were lucky she wasn't a bad kid, or they would have trouble reining her in. She was sure they were kidding; she often beats up Reeve, the son of the highly respected community chief who was in charge in arranging and setting up community events.

To her, Reeve was simply asking for it. She had never beaten the other boys, and there was a reason why Reeve was singled out.

"Fang, you've signed up for tomorrow's hunting party?" the girl sitting beside her asked. Fang remembered her name was Latila.

"Yeah."

Latila smiled. "That's only to be expected of you, but I think studies are more important. You are already behind."

_/ Not again. /_ Fang thought. She didn't need another lecture of how she should prioritise her studies so she can get a better job career. She knew she was behind by two years, but so what? A bunch of kids in the class were around her age too, and two were even sixteen years old. Why weren't anyone nagging them? A better job career also usually meant leaving Oerba to go to the cities. She didn't want to leave Oerba; it was her home and it always will be.

She saw Vanille standing up and saying her goodbyes to their classmates. Then Vanille looked at Fang and started jumping up and down to catch her attention.

"I'm going," she said.

Latila nodded.

"You and Vanille, huh? Always together… since childhood. Don't you get sick of each other?"

Fang blinked. "What do you mean?"

Latila giggled. "Well, we will all grow up one day… and…"

"And?" Fang was beginning to frown. She knew where this was going. She turned to look at Vanille and signalled her to go ahead without her. Vanille nodded, picked up her bag and left the classroom.

"And marriage!" Latila exclaimed.

_/ I knew it. /_

"Yeah! And that's when you two won't be as close anymore."

"Why not?" Fang questioned, her head burning.

"Vanille will be busy with her husband. And then she will be busy with her kids," she replied matter-of-factly. "The two of you just won't be together as much anymore."

"And who is she going to marry?" Fang scoffed. She thought it was too early for this sort of topic to come up. Vanille was only twelve, and hadn't shown any interest in having a boyfriend, much less a husband; she showed much more interest in playing around with Bhakti and being obsessed with her accessories. Fang decided that if Vanille ever does show interest in a man someday, she would ensure the girl marries the best guy out there; one who would love and treasure her, and protect her as much or more than she does.

For goodness sake, Latila was only twelve like Vanille but she acts like an adult, she thought. Adults are annoying people who nag at the young ones nonstop, thinking they know everything and what's the best for the young even if they got it all wrong.

"Reeve!" Latila suddenly announced.

Fang could barf. "REEVE?"

"Yep. Reeve!" Latila chirped, not noticing how dark Fang's face had become. "He's handsome and strong. And he likes Vanille!"

"Hah… that strong guy always loses to me in a fight. His punches suck, his kicks are weak, and he bullies Vanille!" Fang said icily.

Latila laughed. "That's not really bullying is it? The way he interacted with her is just so sweet!

Fang suddenly felt sick in her stomach. How could bullying ever be sweet?

As if sensing what was going on in Fang's mind, Latila begun to explain, "Guys tend to antagonise the girls they like, you know, to get their attention. That's what happened to my momma and poppa, and Clariss' parents!"

"Hmm… the statistic is not very reliable…." Fang muttered. She hated to admit it, but she thought the same too. Reeve simply spent too much time hovering around Vanille. If that wasn't irritating enough, he had to make fun of Vanille all the time, teasing about her skinny body frame and high-pitched voice and anything he could come up with. Besides, he's said some really horrible things before… She cannot contemplate how someone like that would be suitable as Vanille's boyfriend or husband.

Now thinking of these made her fists feel itchy for a punch or two.

"And you too, will get married."

Fang stared at Latila in disbelief; somehow she had the impression that among the three of them Latila would be the only one who would get married, probably at a very young age too.

But now that the topic had started rolling, Latila refused to stop. "Yeah, you know you are actually very good-looking. Just need to tame that wild head of yours and put on some make up and start wearing decent dresses and skirts…"

"That is a blasphemy!" Fang blurted in agitation. Tame her hair? Put on makeup? Wearing dresses and skirts? Why would she have to do these? That would not be her anymore! Fang tried to imagine that other her, and it was rather revolting. She liked her earrings though.

"Excuse me?" Latila blinked innocently, confused by Fang's reaction.

The conversation was getting nowhere but ridiculous, best to get out as soon as possible, Fang thought.

"See ya." Fang said with a casual wave as she walked away.

"Wait, Fang!"

She ignored Latila and hurried out. She had only just stepped out of the classroom when a hand tapped on her shoulder. She turned and was surprised to see Vanille.

"Hey~" Vanille greeted cheerfully. The afternoon sunray shone on Vanille's well-groomed shoulder length red hair, making it looks brighter and more beautiful than before. Fang ran her fingers through her long wild black hair. Maybe she should comb it more often like Vanille.

"I thought you were already gone," Fang said.

"Nope. Been waiting here." Vanille replied smilingly. She hooked Fang's arm and walked with her, leaning slightly over. Fang smiled.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Despite the cheerfulness, Fang could sense something troubling Vanille. There was a short pause before the question popped.

"Am I really hard to sleep with?"

Fang's eyes widened. She remembered what happened this morning. Was Vanille hurt? She looked at Vanille whose green eyes shimmered in uncertainty. After their parents' deaths, they were raised by the community. Nothing unusual; many other kids in Gran Pulse had lost their parents to Cocoon's l'Cie and they weren't the only orphans in Oerba. While conflicts between the l'Cies of Gran Pulse and Cocoon weren't often, once it happen one can always be sure it would be one hell of an event, or mess.

Oerba was based on a communal lifestyle, and anyone could share a bunk with anyone (of the same gender). Vanille slept uncomfortably when alone, and she had practically been rotated around with several kids who couldn't put up with her sleeping habits. Soon, Fang was the only available choice left.

That was really how they got to know each other – the community chief had asked Fang if she was willing to share her bunk with Vanille. Fang didn't mind, so long Vanille didn't practice martial arts in the sleep like her previous bunkmate did. She didn't, and the two soon became friends, and then good friends, and then inseparable best friends.

Someone had said they were like conjoined twins. Who was it? Fang couldn't remember right then.

Fang had teased Vanille out of fun, but didn't think she would get hurt. I should have known better, she thought in regret. She wanted to kick herself right away.

"No, Vanille… I was just teasing you. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings," she apologised earnestly. She had not meant it, but if she did hurt Vanille's feelings… Vanille was someone she would never want to hurt, or see hurt. She was sweet and kind with a contagious smile and cheerfulness, the type of person people would want to love and protect. Hurting her seemed such a terrible sin, that's why Fang always protected her, so she would always be happy and continue spreading that joy around.

"Oh no, no," Vanille shook her head. How could she explain it? If being with her hurts Fang, she'd rather them be separated, even if that pained her. But if she says this, Fang would surely be upset.

"I just don't want to make things difficult for you…"

The walk stopped and Fang turned to face Vanille. She was still smiling, but it was so sad Fang felt pained.

She ruffled Vanille's hair. "Now don't be silly. If it was really so hard I'd said so. Sleeping with you isn't that much pain."

Fang leaned closer and cupped Vanille's face in her hands. "Besides," she said seriously, "I've gotten so used to being strangled by your leg I can't sleep without that routine now."

Vanille's face went red in shyness at the tease, but she was elated that she had not been rejected after all. She had feared that Fang would reject her like the others did before. Now she knew that wasn't the case, and was both relieved and happy about it.

Still, that tease! Vanille balled her fists and waved her arms up and down. "ARGH! You are wicked!"

Fang laughed, as she turned and sped away.

"Get back here!" Vanille yelled, chasing after her.


	3. III Evening Warmth

III. Evening Warmth

A boy of fifteen fell hard on his bottom. He grimaced in pain as his hand massaged his swollen left cheek. He looked up and glared at his assailant.

"How dare you!"

"Yeah? Want another round?" Fang threatened, cracking her knuckles and stepping forward dangerously.

Vanille stood aside, looking worried.

"Umm… Fang? Forget it." She tried to stop her friend.

"No." Fang growled under her breath, "In this village, nobody tells anyone to get lost and out of here. And definitely not to you."

The boy picked himself up and glanced at Vanille before returning his attention to Fang. He was tall and tanned, with wavy black hair and dark grey eyes. He wore a sleek dark green shirt and black pants, and a pair of black boots. Even with his swollen cheek, his good looks were apparent.

He glowered at Fang.

"She isn't good at anything. She best leave here to seek greener pastures. Oerba's too tough for her."

Fang glared at him and snarled, "You don't even know her! And speaking of tough, you are no better!"

The boy grinned in mirth. "I'm different. We'll see, Fang. And you'll realise she isn't really as important as you think."

"What did you say?" Fang pulled back her fist.

The boy grabbed a handful of sand and threw it, forcing Fang to cover her eyes for protection with both hands. By the time she puts her hands down the boy was already gone. Vanille ran forward, grabbing at Fang's arm.

"Fang! Are you okay?" her voice quaked.

Fang didn't answer her question, but turned and held her shoulders. "Don't let anyone talk to you like that ever again. Especially that jackass Reeve." she said hotly.

She had only been gone for a while, but when she returned Reeve was there telling Vanille to leave Oerba. Reeve's expression and tone were too serious to be joking, and Vanille looked hurt. That made Fang really angry. Oerba is one big family, but Reeve nearly always singles out Vanille for that kind of harsh words. If Latila knew this she wouldn't have said it was sweet. This just wasn't something a family or secret admirer would do.

Vanille touched Fang's arm. "Don't think too much of it, Fang. Reeve can say whatever he wants, but you see, I don't intend to ever leave Oerba no matter what." she smiled soothingly. "This is my home, and nobody can make me leave here. Besides…" Vanille broke off and buried her face into Fang's arm.

Fang stared at her, not sure what to say. One thing for sure though – she wants to take her mind off Reeve, and wants Vanille to do the same. It's not worth wasting time and energy being upset over him.

She took Vanille's hand and gently pulled her towards the harbour next to the school. She sat down on the last step of the stairs at the harbour, and took out two buns from her shirt. She handed one to Vanille who sat beside her.

"Eat up."

Vanille bit into the bun, but quickly stuck out her tongue and sucked in a few deep breaths. Fang chuckled. "Careful there. It's still hot."

"Too late for that!" Vanille pouted.

The setting sun emitted a bright orange light that washed through the blue ocean waters. It was quiet during the evening, and all they could hear were the sea waves and the rotating blades of Oerba's wind turbines.

Vanille stared at her half-eaten bun.

"Fang, you are joining tomorrow's hunting party for real?"

"Yes."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

Despite its relative small size, Oerba served as a train station and ship port for trade cargoes, which generated most of the village's income. But a segment of Oerba's population were hunters helping to bring in extra income for their community by selling their spoils to visiting trains, ships and tourists. The hunters will hold a hunting party every two years, going out in a band to take down bigger monsters in a week and sharing the spoils among the community. It was also an event when new hunters or hunter trainees would be welcomed into the band.

It seemed like Fang had already decided the course for her life. Vanille was still undecided about her own future, but she was worried about the risks involved in the hunter path.

Fang looked at Vanille, smiling warmly at her. "Hey, no need to worry for me. I'm big and strong… maybe a little too much. That's why I'm going to be a hunter. That's probably where my strength could be best applied to."

"I want to go too." Vanille pursed her lips. If she tagged along, at least she could look out for Fang. Maybe.

"Sorry, but minimum age is fourteen." Fang chuckled before adding, "It's only some gorgonopsids and goblins; nothing too dangerous. They are easy for the adults, and will help me toughen up. The adults won't let us young ones come to any harm."

"But what if…" Vanille wanted to continue dissuading her, but was knocked gently on the head by Fang's fist.

"I'll be okay. And you, you just keep a distance from that Reeve, all right?" Fang smiled, tickling Vanille's chin with her finger. "And when I'm back, you'd have to fill me in with those school notes you've taken. You know how I tend to fall back if I miss any classes… and I will get nagged at again."

Vanille couldn't help but giggle. "But you are better at schoolwork than I am!"

"Hah. You are the only one who'd say that." Fang laughed.

Vanille thought few people realised how intelligent Fang actually was. Many villagers tend to think she was all about brawn and little brains, but that wasn't true. Vanille did quite well in school, and that was only because Fang had been tutoring her. It wasn't because Fang was distracted or stupid that she was behind for two years, but schooling simply wasn't her interest and she was more than often busy with helping and working for the community.

Maybe that was why they were such great friends; they understood, protected, loved and appreciated each other deep from their hearts, even their flaws.

They watched the sun set, their vision blurred from the brightness. They leaned, their heads touching. Nobody told them. There wasn't a hint or clue, and definitely no prophecy. But they both knew they would be doing this together for the longest time ever.


	4. IV The Hunting Party

IV. The Hunting Party

It was early morning but the village square was already buzzing in excitement. The entire population of Oerba had come to send the hunting party off. Oerba's chief hunter Klaux handed out white cloth armbands and survival knives to the new hunters who had joined the party. The hunters in Oerba are its own community, and the armbands show their rank.

White cloth armbands indicate newcomers aka trainees; green cloth are awarded to trainees who managed to hunt 50 heads of beasts independently; red cloth are awarded for a hunter's 200th hunt and is of an expert rank; while gold cloth embroidered with black strips indicate a Master rank, the highest accolade that can only be earned by killing a powerful beast. Not everyone stayed as hunters though; many had joined the hunting party for fun and thus never advanced beyond the trainee rank. Fang meant it to be a career.

When the white armband was passed to Fang, Vanille squealed in excitement. "I want to tie it!" she demanded.

Fang chuckled and passed it to her friend who began tying the white cloth around her arm enthusiastically, as she fastened the survival knife to a belt around her thigh. Her eyes swept across the rest of the trainees, and they narrowed upon sighting the white cloth armband on Reeve's arm.

Reeve's eyes met hers and he smiled at her. She looked away.

_/ I had no idea he's joining! Great, more opportunities for bust ups now /_, she thought sardonically.

"Oh wow! Reeve's joining too!" Latila swooned, startling Fang. When did she start standing there? "Maybe he's building up those muscles for Vanille?" Latila suggested mischievously.

"Huh?" Vanille looked up in surprise, not quite catching the meaning. Fang managed only a weak laugh.

"Anyway I heard his father intends to send him to Paddra City for further studies. How nice! Paddra City is huge and very advanced!" Latila continued. Fang merely nodded her head; the boy simply wasn't one of her favourite topics. But Vanille seemed interested enough.

"Paddra? I've never been there!" she said cheerfully, "I heard they sell many beautiful clothes and accessories there, and lots of pretty holograms!"

"You bet!" Latila replied excitedly. Their chitchatting would have gone on but they were interrupted by the loud clapping and cheering of the villagers when Klaux took the centre stage to speak.

"Another two years have passed, and finally the 146th hunting party is beginning!"

"YAAAAAAAAAY!" the village square screamed and shouted.

Appearing to be pleased, Klaux continued, "Today we welcome the new hunters who from now on will be part of our family! This glorious one-week hunting party will not only benefit our community, but the best spoils will be offered to our patron fal'Cie Anima, who has long looked over Oerba with favour!"

The square went feverish. Vanille cheered and clapped her hands along with Fang and Latila.

"Now let the hunters pick their weapons!"

"WAY TO GO!" the villagers screamed as the hunters gathered to the weapon racks and began to choose their weapons of choice. Fang left Vanille's side and squeezed through the crowd of hunters to the racks. She was a little too late and not many choices were left. Nearly all the guns and melee weapons had been snatched off, and the remaining ones looked so obsolete their functionality was questionable.

With not many choices left, Fang took the bow and arrows, and returned to her position.

"Can you use this?" Latila asked, observing the bow and arrows.

"Hmm… Never used them before… but there are not many choices left." Fang replied, examining her weapon.

"Will that be all right?" Vanille asked worriedly. Fang nodded. "Sure. I'm good at aiming."

"Aiming with your fists don't count…" Latila said. Fang ignored her.

Vanille glanced in distaste at the armband and shook her head. "I will make new accessories for you once you are back. They will look good on you."

Fang grinned. The girl was always interested in her accessories, and was she good at making them! Fang began to imagine how she would look like with Vanille's accessories; it felt a little of a bastardisation.

Klaux's voice rang out loud again. "I hereby announce the start of the hunting party!"

Time to go. Fang tightened the quiver belt around her chest and prepared to leave.

"Be careful!" Vanille yelled out as the hunters began to leave. Fang grinned and waved goodbye, as the villagers' excited cheers sent off the hunting party.

As the hunters walked on the trail leading to the wilderness, Reeve glanced at Fang. He slowed his footsteps so she could reach him. When she did caught up to his pace, she ignored him and walked past him, pretending he wasn't there. Annoyed, he jogged to her and whispered so that the others wouldn't hear him.

"You shouldn't be here. Why don't you go back?"

Fang tightened her grip on the bow but said nothing.

"You are not suitable for this line."

She turned to him. "What a thing to hear from someone who can never beat me in a fight," she said coolly.

"Well, this isn't fighting; this is hunting," Reeve replied icily. Gesturing to the guns on his belt, he added, "My dad and Klaux have been tutoring me on gun shooting and I'm very good at it. You? Just fists and strength, and nobody hunts with bare hands."

Fang felt her blood boiling; the rascal was belittling her. But she restrained from punching him because this was a friendly bonding event, and the hunters had a strict code against infighting, especially during the hunting party which emphasises on teamwork and community cohesion.

"I'm not the only one without training. Kailas, Adinma, Uda and Oammunu don't have any weaponry training too. I don't see you telling them to go home," Fang said.

Reeve cocked his head aside and smiled. "You noticed."

_/ Graaaah. What does he want? / _Fang thought in irritancy. She quickened her pace to leave him behind but he was persistent, catching up with her.

"You are very close to Vanille." he remarked casually.

"What's that got to do with you?"

She thought it was a strange comment to make. Everyone in Oerba knew she and Vanille were the best of friends and that they looked out for each other, though Fang was in the protective role most of the times.

_/ Because of him. /_ she thought unhappily.

Vanille was popular in Oerba, and the boys liked to crowd around her and tease her – Latila's "sweet" syndrome – or give her whatever little treats they could afford, and more than often she would play along with them. Reeve on the other hand was a real menace.

"Don't you think you could be coddling her? I think it would be the best for her if the two of you separates."

She looked hard at Reeve. "Is that why you told her to leave?"

Reeve rolled his eyes and did not answer the question. Finding his attitude unbearable, Fang finally asked, "Why do you dislike her so much?"

"I don't dislike her," he replied, his eyes widening.

"Hah… your attitude to her tells a different story," she sneered, not believing a word for a second.

He scowled. "I just… I have an aunt in Paddra City who can take care of her."

Fang raised a brow at the mention of Paddra City. He was trying to get Vanille to Paddra? She remembered Latila saying Reeve's father wanted to send him to Paddra for further studies. Feeling frustrated out of the blue, she snapped at him.

"That's not what I heard you say yesterday," Fang challenged, "You said 'you should just leave Oerba. You can't do anything for the village and villagers'. Doesn't sound very friendly, and definitely doesn't sound like you will arrange for her to be taken care of."

She touched her forehead. "Why do I even bother with you? What a waste of my time."

Without waiting for a reply, she jogged to the front. Reeve did not follow.


	5. V The Party Ends

V. The Party Ends

Five days had passed and the hunting party was finally coming to a close. The party had so far subdued dozens of goblins, gorgonopsids, munchkins, flans and sahagins.

Fang was getting used to her bow and arrows, her aim getting better with each use. But her inexperience with the weapon resulted in few kills and so far had only two flans and a munchkin to her name. She was disappointed but remained optimistic – she had done better than some other trainees and Klaux had personally praised her performance and potential.

She and Reeve had not spoken since the first day, but she had observed his performance after his initial boastings about his gun shooting capability. He was apparently telling the truth, having five goblins and a sahagin to his name. Fang hated to admit it, but he was good.

It was evening and the hunters had stopped at a shelter to rest for the day. The shelter was built several generations ago by Oerba hunters so that future hunting parties could take refuge in it. This wasn't the only one; several others were scattered across the wilderness near to the village.

Smoke rose from the fire the hunters had started to cook their meal. It had become foggy, but none of the experienced hunters were worried; they could find their way back to Oerba blindfolded. The trainees were unconcerned too; all they had to do was to follow the adults and their instructions.

Sitting alone at the corner, Fang looked at her pouch. Inside contained the ooze, goo and leather skin she had gathered from her hunts, all of which she could have to herself as they weren't good enough offerings to Anima. She wondered what she could do with them. Ooze and goo for food, maybe. And the leather could be used for new clothing…

_/ Vanille's jacket is worn out… The leather could be useful for her. /_

She looked at the bow that was lying at her feet. Maia used to hunt with bows and arrows.

Maia.

So this name still haunts me, she thought wistfully.

Fang remembered how kind Maia was, always telling her stories, teaching her all sorts of little knowledge and comforting her when she was sad. In many ways, she was like a mother to Fang who had lost her family at a very young age.

Yet Maia also was lonely as she too was an orphan. Her fiancé was turned into a l'Cie and he never came back from his Focus. Fang regretted being unable to help or protect her from pain.

Then one day, Maia left the village without a word. Nobody seemed to know why, though some villagers speculated she went off to find out what happened to her fiancé. But she never returned. That was six years ago.

Fang felt sad whenever she thought of Maia. She thought they were good friends, but Maia had left without much of a "goodbye". Then Vanille was introduced to her. She was then at a point when she didn't care about anything else, but over the time Vanille's presence and friendship healed the wounds of being left behind. Because of these, Fang could never thank her enough, and she swore she would always protect Vanille.

She sighed, a sad smile on the face. _/ Why am I thinking of all these out of the blue? /_

A distant growl disrupted Fang's thoughts and she looked up, startled. The others had heard it too, as they looked curiously at the direction from where the growl came from. But there was another noise…

Some of the hunters stood up, their hands on the weapons. The atmosphere had tensed up all of a sudden.

"Trainees go inside the shelter." Klaux instructed. Fang and the other trainees obeyed, going into the shelter. But Reeve stayed where he was.

"I can fight." he insisted.

"No. We still don't know what's going on… could be too dangerous." Klaux said, drawing out his electro blast guns.

"But!" Reeve tried to argue.

"No 'buts'!" Klaux snapped impatiently, "You'd better…"

A huge black shadow cuts off Klaux's words as it leapt out from the fog and into the campsite, stunning the hunters. The muscular beast was as huge as a mountain vehicle, with thick sharp claws. Its skin was a leathery midnight blue, and its lower body a rusty red with symbols on its chest. Long flowing flaps extended from its head, and its long sharp teeth were numerous and dripping with saliva. Its limbs also had metallic spiked circlets around them.

Despite the obvious danger, the hunters were all too stunned to move.

With a ferocious roar, the beast swung its paw, lopping off Klaux's head. The beast then turned to regard the shocked hunters with its predatory red eyes. Though shocked out of their wits, the sight also ended their paralyse and they managed a yell of warning.

"A BEHEMOTH KING! RUN!"

Alarmed screams and shouts rang as the hunters and trainees fled the shelter. The Behemoth King roared and swatted its paw, sending two hunters crashing against a tree. Fang ran out of the shelter and tried to follow the adults, but in her hurry tripped over a rock and her bow flew out of her hand and out of her sight, while the arrows spilled out from the quiver.

The Behemoth King roared and Fang turned. She broke into cold sweat and her heart begun racing when she saw the beast advancing towards her. She tried to get up to run, but her legs were weak from fear.

_/ Move it, you useless things! / _

Fang sat on the ground helplessly as the Behemoth King moved toward her. Her legs were recovering but she knew she would never make it on time, and she had lost her weapon. A sting hits her eyes as she thought of everything she would leave behind. There was only one thing in her mind.

Suddenly a rain of bullets hit the Behemoth King from above, and the beast roared in anger, shifting its attention away from Fang. She looked up to the tree and to her surprise it was Reeve. His hands were shaking and his face filled with terror as the beast glared at him. He swallowed thickly and fired another round.

The Behemoth King roared and slapped at the tree hard, causing Reeve to nearly fall off.

"Reeve!" Fang was alarmed.

He glared at her angrily. "What are you still doing here? Go! Right now! While I still can distract it!"

Strength finally returning to her legs, Fang stood up. The Behemoth King continued to strike at the tree. She retreated a few steps, shaken by fear.

"Wha… what about you?" She was shocked.

"GO!" Reeve screamed as he fired another round, further angering the Behemoth King.

"Not without you!" she shouted, refusing to abandon Reeve. She was scared to death but she would not leave him alone, especially if he was going to throw away his life to save her. Part of her didn't want to owe him anything, but most importantly he had shown her loyalty and she felt obliged to return the favour. However, Reeve was less than impressed at her show of bravery.

"You trying to get yourself killed? You don't even have a weapon to protect yourself!" Reeve yelled, gripping tightly at the tree with his arms and thighs so he wouldn't fall off. "I swear, if you continue sticking around here, I will kill both you and Vanille once I'm back! Vanille first, then you! You hear me?"

"NO!" Fang was stubborn.

The Behemoth King slammed its entire bodyweight against the tree, and a loud crack sounded as the tree began to collapse. Reeve yelled as he fell along with the tree, and the Behemoth King pounced.

"REEVE!" Fang cried in horror, but there was no response as the Behemoth King clawed furiously at the fallen tree. Realising how hopeless the situation was, Fang grimaced as she turned and ran away.


	6. VI Seeding

VI. Seeding

It was finally the seventh day, and the hunting party is expected to return to Oerba anytime soon. The village had decorated the square and prepared for a celebration and a festive offering at fal'Cie Anima's temple. The mood was joyous, as loud music was played and the people waited for their family and friends to return from the hunt.

Vanille sat among a group of girls in the square, making long colourful ribbons for the festive at the temple. They had been at work since the hunters left, and it was now an amazing six metres long. Another one metre and it would be completed. The girls chatted happily among themselves, excited at the coming celebration.

"How many hunts do you think they've got?" a girl asked.

"Well, they carried back more than a hundred spoils two years ago! Shouldn't be too far away from that count!" Vanille answered.

"But isn't the performance of that year considered surprising and unexpected?" Latila asked.

"Yeah, but they've got more people this year so they might get more stuff too." another said.

While worried for her friend, Vanille was assured by the fact that Fang was with the adults who were very experienced. Nothing had gone wrong before, I'm worrying too much, she told herself. Putting the matter to rest, Vanille spent the week with her other friends and making preparations for the welcoming and celebration. The week had been peaceful and fun, but she struggled at night because she didn't like to sleep alone. For the past six years, she had never gone to bed without Fang.

Vanille couldn't wait to see Fang again.

"Look, the square stage…" one of the girls pointed out.

The girls turned, and saw a strange-looking object supported by a gravitational sphere at the stage. It was a white rod with a headpiece that looked like a pair of antlers.

"What is that?" Vanille was puzzled by the odd-looking thing that didn't resemble anything she knew.

"Beats me, but it should be the reward for the top performing hunter. The best hunter of the party always gets a prize that is supported by the sphere." Latila observed.

"It's a weapon," a voice said.

The girls turned and saw the village elder smiling kindly at them. "As you know, this Hunting Party is held partly in honour of fal'Cie Anima. Word has it that if the hunters did well, gathering over 20 excellent spoils that will be offered to Anima, he will bestow a gift on the sixth day, which will be given to the best performing hunter in return for the efforts."

The village elder added, "It is also said that each reward would help in something that would come to pass. For example, two years ago the reward of a reactor conductor helped us through a sudden cold weather during a time when our generators broke down. Four years ago the reward of a Shroud allowed Klaux to get away from an Undying. Further back in twenty years ago, moon blossom seeds were given as the reward…"

"I know this story! My mom told me!" Latila waved her arms about excitedly, "A disease struck the region, and it was a disease that only moon blossom flowers could cure! So not only were we safe from the disease, we also made a lot of money by selling the flowers to neighbouring towns and cities!"

"Yes, that is correct," the village elder replied with a kind smile.

Vanille looked thoughtfully at the object. So it's a weapon, huh... What could that mean?

"So how does it work, Elder?" Latila asked in much interest.

The elder chuckled. "Well, we'll have to wait for the best hunter then. He will be testing it out right on the stage, as they always do for the reward."

"Feh! That would be Uncle Klaux again! He wins the rewards every time! That's so boring!" one of the girls complained.

The elder and the group laughed.

There was a sudden silence in the square and they looked around in surprise. Murmurs became shouts of astonishment, as villagers helped injured hunters down the lane to the square.

The village elder hurried over and the girls gasped. Vanille gaped in quiet shock at the sight of the injured hunters. Out of the sixty hunters who went off a week ago, only twelve had returned and ten of them were injured, with three seriously wounded.

"Get the medicines and gauze over!" a stout villager shouted, and several villagers dashed off to get medical kits. The wounded hunters were laid on the ground to rest.

"What happened? Where are the rest?" the village elder asked anxiously.

Vanille squeezed through the crowd and shuddered at the sight of their injuries. Cuts, swollen bruises, and large slashes that exposed flesh. The hunters were bloodied, and the slashes looked like they were caused by huge claws belonging to a big animal. Then she realised Fang wasn't there, and her heart sank. Her stomach felt sick and she had to turn away.

"A Behemoth King…" one of the uninjured hunters said in a quivering voice. "It came out of nowhere and attacked us…"

Loud gasps and mumblings went through the crowd like a shockwave.

"A Behemoth King?"

"What is that sort of monster doing here!"

"Didn't Behemoth Kings live mainly in Archylte Steppe?"

"A Behemoth King in the vicinity?"

"Good lord…"

"And Klaux?" the village elder asked again.

"He… he's dead…" the hunters replied, their eyes looking away.

The villagers were shocked. Klaux was Oerba's most seasoned and best hunter who had taken down dangerous beasts like Orobons on his own before, and had gotten away from several dangerous situations before, including two close shaves with The Undying. He was the last person anyone would expect to be killed. But the killer was a Behemoth King, a highly powerful and dangerous monster that normal human beings should avoid at all costs… even a l'Cie could not have taken it down easily.

The community chief's face was pale. Even Klaux was dead, and none of the trainees, including his son Reeve, had made it back. "But… the rest? What about the trainees!" he demanded.

"Yeah… where are the kids?" a woman asked fearfully. Six youths had left as trainees yet none had returned.

The hunters shook their heads. "There was a fog… and most of us fled all directions once the beast attacked…"

"Oh no…" Latila whispered in dread to Vanille, "This is terrible… You lose your bearings easily in a fog, and even without the fog, only the adults can find their way about…"

Vanille didn't want to hear anymore. Knowing that the hunters were attacked by a Behemoth King was bad enough, and now there was the prospect that if they were not killed they would be lost in the vast and dangerous wilderness of Gran Pulse…

The villagers who went off earlier returned with their medical kits and they began to help patching up the injured hunters. The parents of the lost youths were crying, and the villagers were deeply troubled. Not only had they lost their family and friends, but they now were also facing the danger of a deadly monster. What if the beast charged right into the village?

The village elder knew their concerns, and had already made a decision.

"Everyone, this is truly an unforeseen misfortune, but this is the time when we must be calm." The village elder said, knocking his cane firmly on the ground. "Family of those who had not returned, and young ones not exceeding the age of twenty must immediately proceed to Anima's Temple for refuge and to pray for the lost ones' safety. Community leaders and I shall stay behind just in case anyone else return. Anyone else not falling into the above categories is free to stay behind to help."

"Yes yes… Anima can help us… we must seek his blessings…" the villagers murmured. The fal'Cie had always blessed them and kept them safe from dangers, particularly those from the wilderness. Surely he would protect them from the Behemoth King.

Vanille looked around, her heart invaded by a sense of despair and hopelessness. This has never happened before… They have had fogs in the past, but Anima had never allowed anything like a Behemoth King get through. What happened? Worst still, nobody seemed to be interested in looking for the lost hunters.

"What… what about those who have not returned? They could still be alive, and waiting for help out there…" Vanille said weakly, her voice suppressed by fear.

But she was heard, and the villagers turned to look at her. They exchanged doubtful looks. The village elder placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

"I understand your concerns, Vanille… do you not think we are concerned about their safety? But it is far too dangerous to look for them… We cannot risk more lives," he explained.

Vanille hung her head low. Nobody said anything else, and the decision was final. Clasping her fingers together, she began to make a silent prayer to whatever would listen. Just let everyone come back safely.


	7. VII The Sprout

VII. The Sprout

The sunlight reflected off the leaves of the trees, penetrating only a little of the jungle on the ground. The birds chirped and the morning dew dripped off the tree leaves.

Fang lied motionlessly on the wet grass under a bush. Dew dripped off the bush onto her cheekbone, and she twitched. Another drop landed and her eyes slowly opened. Blades of grass lay in front of her, and ants scuttle by without taking much notice of her. She breathed slowly but deeply, as her mind began to settle itself and go through the information it had gathered so far.

She had no idea how long it had been since the attack and where she was because she had ran through the fog. She kept running without stopping to rest, and continued to run even though she could no longer hear the Behemoth King. She ran and ran, until her body and heart could take it no more and she collapsed.

She thought she was dead, but apparently not.

Putting her two hands on the wet grass, Fang pushed herself up slowly to a standing position. She staggered a little, and the little sunlight hurts her eyes. It was unbelievable, but she was alive. There was an odd sensation at her left thigh. She flipped her clothing and found the survival knife attached to a belt tied around her thigh. She pulled out the knife, which Klaux had distributed to the trainees along with the white armbands before they left Oerba.

She felt her head.

"_What are you still doing here? Go! Right now! While I still can distract it!" _

Her eyes shut tight.

"_You trying to get yourself killed? GO!" _

Reeve. He was the last person she had expected to save her. Back in Oerba, they were always fighting. He was always mocking at her and Vanille, and she would hit him. They fought, they quarrelled, and hated each other's guts. On the first day of the hunt they squabbled again, and never exchanged words until that day. Yet he was the one who had saved her, and gave his life in return.

Fang opened her eyes, reflecting a fierce determination in her green eyes. The birds squealed, and sounds of rapid fluttering of wings echoed through the forest as the birds took flight. Fang looked around alertly, and saw a long and thick bough.

I must survive, she told herself, this life is given to me by Reeve so I cannot die! I must live for both of us.

Her body felt numb, but it did not stop her from picking up the bough and cutting at it with the knife. Rustling sounds were heard from a distant and she sliced faster. Faster and faster she goes, and louder the sounds became.

"Grrrrrr….."

Fang dropped the knife and whirled around, her hands gripping a sturdy staff fashioned from the bough. The wolf-looking gorgonopsid growled at her and she moved slowly. Her eyes narrowed when another two gorgonopsids emerged from the bushes. Yes, these creatures always hunt in a pack, and now they think I'm their food, she thought.

Perspiration trickled to her neck. She eyed the gorgonopsids and moved back very slowly. The creatures studied her hungrily but did not pounce. Not yet. They were looking for a weakness.

They are fast and relentless, there's just no chance of getting away from them, Fang thought, realising her only way out was to fight, even if the odds were against her. There was no other choice.

_/ I can do it! /_

With a fierce cry, Fang stepped forward and swung the staff at the gorgonopsids, successfully hitting one of them. The hit gorgonopsid was smacked face-on and it fell to the ground temporarily. Its partners growled angrily and they lunged at Fang, their sharp claws extending from the paws.

Fang attempted to dodge but they were too quick, slashing at her torso. She cried in pain but gritted her teeth and steadied herself. The hit gorgonopsid was getting up and she cannot allow that, for that would make it three against one. The two gorgonopsids leapt at her again and she dived, grabbing her survival knife from the ground at the same time. Getting up slightly, she jumped onto the gorgonopsid that had just got up.

The gorgonopsid snarled and tried to shake off Fang but she held tightly onto its neck. In a swift moment, she stabbed the knife deep into the gorgonopsid's throat and savagely ripped it through its neck, nearly decapitating it. The gorgonopsid gurgled a death cry as it collapsed to the ground. Fang was about to get up when she felt a sharp pain at her shoulder – one of the beasts had bitten her!

"Argh!" she screamed. Another painful sensation at her left thigh and she grabbed the knife back from the dead gorgonopsid. She frantically stabbed at the head on her shoulder but the creature wouldn't let go. She screamed and stabbed repeatedly as she thrust her legs forcefully but the gorgonopsid would not let go, though as a result it couldn't do more than holding onto her.

The gorgonopsid howled in pain and lets go of her shoulder. Fang tried to grab its head but it dodged. She grabbed again and it clawed her across the neck, narrowly missing her throat. One of its eyes had been pierced and was now bleeding along with the other stabs at its head. With a soft whimpering it limped away.

Two down and now just one left.

Quickly, Fang grabbed at the nearly staff and began smashing the head of the gorgonopsid biting her thigh. Wounded and demoralised by a death and a retreat, the gorgonopsid lets go and fled.

Fang collapsed to the ground on her back, gasping for breath as she allowed her body to relax for a moment after a hell of a struggle. She was relieved that she had managed to fight off the gorgonopsids and that she was safe, for now. After catching a breath or two, she used the staff as a support to stand up. She retrieved the survival knife and returned it to its sheathe on her thigh belt. She would have to mend her wounds later, as getting out of the area and finding a safe place were her priorities, just in case the gorgonopsids return with reinforcements.

Without even knowing where she was and being alone like this, her chance of survival was low but she would not give up without a fight.

Thick lines of blood oozed out from her several injuries and she shook her head gently to shake off the dizziness that was now attacking her. Slowly she walked away with the help of the staff. She had no intention to die yet.

Gripping tightly on her staff, she began to pray to Anima.


	8. VIII The Runaway

VIII. The Runaway

The Temple priests had agreed to accommodate the villagers until the crisis was over, on the condition that they made no trouble lest angering Anima. The villagers gathered in groups and engaged in whispered conversations. Unlike the previous years, the mood at the temple was subdued, as everyone was worried about the Behemoth King threat.

Vanille stayed with her group of friends, but for the past three days could not stop worrying. Had anyone returned to Oerba yet? Where was the Behemoth King? Was it close to the village? So many questions but no answers. It was very vexing and worrying indeed.

She glanced at the closed doors of the throne room where Anima was. The temple was huge and the throne room being the seat of Anima was the most inner chamber, and access was restricted unless summoned by the fal'Cie. She wondered what the fal'Cie thought of their presence here; they would usually visit to make offerings and for celebrations in honour of Anima, but rarely for refuge. But he was a "kind" fal'Cie, was he not? The other fal'Cies of Gran Pulse could care less about the people – it was all survival of the strongest – and Anima was the only one who seemed to care.

Why then did a monster like Behemoth King appear?

Doubts crept up in Vanille's mind and she tried to shove them away in fear that Anima could sense them and become angry. Her pet robot Bhakti placed its two hands on her lap, a red light blinking on its head. She smiled and patted Bhakti.

"Don't worry, I'm okay," she reassured her pet robot.

"Do you think the vipers are responsible for this?"

Vanille turned to look at the man who was speaking. He was sitting a short distance away in a large group made up of both adult men and women.

The vipers referred to the inhabitants of Cocoon. Floating in the sky above Gran Pulse, Cocoon appeared to be a low-hanging moon except that it was hollow. Cocoon had its own fal'Cie and people, the latter of who were foolishly lured away from Gran Pulse to live there by the viper Lindzei. Cocoon, created by Lindzei with stolen pieces of land from Gran Pulse, was the source of evil in the world, and the people of Gran Pulse were always on alert and fearful of a possible invasion.

How could they not fear and resent? Like their maker Lindzei, the fal'Cie of Cocoon often come to Gran Pulse to steal their resources, a callous act that had ruined and killed countless lives. They would rip precious minerals from the earth, or seize farmlands that were near harvest, condemning Gran Pulse people to starvation and a severe loss of jobs and means of livelihood. It did not seem implausible that the vipers would one day come to destroy Gran Pulse itself.

"Yeah… makes sense, doesn't it? Nothing like this had ever happened before. It must be those damned vipers!"

"But if they were going to strike, won't they do more than just releasing a Behemoth King?"

"True. The last time they dropped a couple of l'Cies who assassinated the mayor of Haerii, and planted bombs in important infrastructure, disrupting communications and trade."

"And many of our kids lost their parents… and we our children, siblings and spouses…"

"Maybe they are observing, and would base their plans on the results. They treat us as though we are their guinea pigs and slaves anyway."

"Damn those vipers…"

"Give me a chance and I'd kill them all!"

"Those bastards!"

The words struck hard into Vanille's heart and she covered her ears. She had never thought much of Cocoon except knowing that they were the enemies. They were responsible for turning her into an orphan, and while she didn't want to hate and wanted to live her life in peace, would that be possible if Cocoon was bent on destroying them? Why can't Cocoon leave them alone? Why can't there be peace? If only everyone could live in peace and happiness…

And where was Fang? Was she okay? She promised she would be fine, and that she wanted her notes for references. Vanille hugged her bag; the notes were ready and just waiting for Fang's return.

Her eyes drifted about the temple and they landed on a familiar object.

The odd-looking weapon bestowed by Anima.

"_It is also said that each reward would help in something that would come to pass."_

Could that weapon be meant to kill the Behemoth King?

She turned to Latila.

"Hey… the weapon given by Anima…" she started but the excited reaction of her friend surprised her to silence.

"On our way here, I asked about that weapon again. Turns out it's a Binding Rod!"

"A Binding Rod?" Vanille's eyes widened.

Binding rods are the latest fishing innovation by Lancelot Corporations, which specialises in catching devices. Binding rods in particular specialise in catching aerial creatures, but it was also designed for basic self-defense so it has a secondary function as a weapon.

Vanille had heard of it before, but never seen one. She looked at the weapon again.

Latila giggled, "I didn't know Anima is into the latest weaponry fashion trends! Trust him to improvise on it too! But it's an awesome reward – the market price of a normal binding rod is 30,000 gils, and one that is given by a fal'Cie would surely fetch more than 10 times that price!"

Vanille considered that. A weapon improvised by a fal'Cie has got to be good, especially when it was meant to be a reward. Maybe this weapon could handle the Behemoth King with its catching device?

"Don't get any funny ideas now, Vanille," came Latila's voice. It was a whisper in an oddly fierce tone.

She looked at her friend, and was startled to see that Latila appeared to be rather upset. "I know what you are thinking. Don't; just don't!" she warned.

"I was just thinking…" Vanille tried to explain but Latila interrupted her. "That weapon was meant for the best hunter, and that obviously would be Uncle Klaux… and he's dead… There is no one here who can fight better than Uncle Klaux, and we are kids. That's that! Quit your fantasies… It's way too dangerous for anyone to do anything right now."

Vanille lowered her head and stared at the floor. Of course Latila was right. Even if the weapon was meant to kill the Behemoth King, surely it would take an experienced fighter to use it and defeat the monster? What were the chances of a kid like her killing such a powerful monster, even if equipped with a weapon given by a fal'Cie? She didn't even know how to use it…

Quietly she lied down on the floor, using her bag as a pillow. Bhakti rolled over and plopped neatly into Vanille's arms. She hugged it.

"Thanks, Bhakti. Let's sleep…" she whispered, and Bhakti's lights went off in agreement. She shuts her eyes.

A breeze wheezed, stirring Vanille. Her eyes were shut tightly, and beads of sweat were on her forehead despite the cool temperature in the temple. She trembled and twitched uncomfortably before her eyes opened.

She sat up, panting and wiping her perspiration. She looked around; the temple was dim and everyone around was asleep. Bhakti's lights came on, flashing rapidly. Vanille placed a finger to her lips, signalling it to keep quiet.

Vanille stood up and cautiously crept past the sleeping villagers. Bhakti watched on motionlessly, but its lights ran rapidly again when it saw its mistress sneaking to the white rod that was lying on the altar.

At the altar, Vanille clasped her fingers together.

_/ Anima, please forgive me but I'm scared… I wish I could just stay here but I'm too afraid to do so. Please forgive me… / _

She reached for the white rod gingerly, grasped it and removed it from the altar. Attaching it to her waist belt, guilt overwhelmed her and she was compelled to run. Without another word, she fled from the chamber and to the exit. With the Temple sitting in the middle of Oerba and the forest, she figured she could sneak into the forest without passing through the village.

She was close to the exit when she heard an excited beeping sound. She turned and was surprised to see Bhakti following her.

"Bhakti! You want to come along? I thought you might be safer with the others," Vanille said, squatting down to regard Bhakti.

The robot spun a round, its lights dancing madly. With a "click", its eyes projected a hologram that showed the area's map.

"Oh yeah! You've got a map system in you!" Vanille exclaimed. Good thing, now she won't be lost, and if she finds Fang or any of the lost hunters, she can get them back to the village.

Taking Bhakti into her arms, she stood up.

"Let's go get Fang home together."


	9. IX Rain

IX. Rain

Fang knelt at the pool of a stream she found in the jungle. Using the surface of the pool as a mirror, she bandaged her wounds with the herbal leaves in her sachet. The leaves were bright green and had antiseptic qualities that also helped to slow bleeding. The Yat'qa plant that produced the leaves was abundant in the forest near Oerba, and it was one of the village's main produce; every kid in Oerba would have at least one or two Yat'qa leaves with them for emergency purposes for it was a dangerous world they lived in.

Fang had passed by several Yat'qa bushes along the way, and had collected some. Given her current situation, they would be most helpful. The bushes also lifted her hopes that she could be closer to home than initially expected.

She looked to the north, where there were more Yat'qa bushes. Following them could probably bring me home, she thought.

After the encounter with the gorgonopsids, Fang had not met any other monsters, and she tried her best to keep out of danger. Even the trees are not safe, as some monsters prefer to have an element of surprise by dropping onto their preys. Luckily she had met none of those yet.

Cupping the stream water with her hands, Fang drank the liquid thirstily. It was cool and refreshing, smelling slightly like mint. Her next problem would be food. She was starting to regret not cutting some meat out from the dead gorgonopsid before running away.

Raindrops fell, and Fang smiled. Luck was on her side. Rain would mask her scent and keep beasts in their lairs. Looks like I would be safe for the time being… I must use this time to move as fast as possible and get home, she thought.

The beasts of the skies shrieked out loud, pushing Fang to full alert. Her eyes darted around suspiciously and her grip tightened on the staff. She slowly stood up, but sloped slightly to prepare for an escape.

More shrieks screamed out, and Fang felt her heart beginning to race. A loud rustling sound was heard; something was coming. Without hesitating, Fang turned and dived into the stream – only aquatic monsters would enter the waters and there were none of them here, so it would be a safe hiding place. Besides, whatever was coming, it was close and Fang felt she would not be able to get away as easily as with the gorgonopsids if she was caught.

As Fang held her breath in the water, a familiar roar rumbled, disturbing the peace of the waters. She recognised that roar even if it was distorted by the waters. It was the Behemoth King.

Her stomach turned and the sounds of her beating heart drummed her ears hard. The scene of the monster clawing furiously at the tree Reeve had fallen with replayed in her mind. A headache hits her and she could not decide if it was because of the memory or if she needed more oxygen.

She quietly swam further away to be closer to the opposite bank, and slowly emerged her face from the water surface. She peered at the bank and saw the back of the Behemoth King. The monster roared, sending ripples through the calm water surface. Fang submerged again, but kept her eyes above the water to keep watching. Something was going on.

A human figure leapt up and swatted an arm toward the Behemoth King, which knocked off the blow with its mighty head.

No, not a human, Fang realised.

The body of the human figure was covered in dark crystals, with a red orb embedded in the chest. The crystallised limps were deformed, twisted and elongated. Its shoulders also sported a pair of huge spotted wings.

It was a Cie'th, fallen human servants of the fal'Cie who had failed to complete the Focus given to them.

Living in a world where the divine fal'Cie frequently made humans into l'Cie, it became necessary to study into them, particularly when failure rate was high. The l'Cies had a limited time frame to complete their Focus, depending on the task's difficulty. But the Focus was rarely communicated to the l'Cies directly, and they had to figure it out, which can take a lot more time than the l'Cies could afford.

Failure to complete the task would turn them into the mindless monsters Cie'th corpses, their hearts condemned to an eternity of despair.

But there was more to this one.

It was The Undying, Cie'th who defy the will of the fal'Cie that made them into l'Cie and are filled with hatred because of it. Subsequently, they developed an unquenchable hatred for all living things, and sought to destroy them all. They were the most fearsome and powerful of the Cie'th, and rarely did any humans that come across them managed to survive.

Discerning the great danger she was in, Fang's insides turned ice cold, and she sank back into the waters.

Loud bashings, roars and shrieks echoed through the waters. Fang did not dare watch lest she be discovered, and continued holding breath despite her protesting lungs. No matter which creature won, it would be most disadvantageous for her if they remained at this area.

Fang did not know how long she had stayed underwater, but the sounds of the fight had died down. At the same time, her body had gone numb, her ears blocked and her lungs felt as though a blunt weapon was hammering at it. Unable to bear it any longer but determined to maintain control so she would not be discovered, she slowly surfaced.

Fang took in a deep breath and opened her eyes, only to stare at The Undying face-to-face. She froze, and her eyes drifted to the bank where the Behemoth King laid motionlessly. Her eyes returned to the gaze of The Undying, its wings flapping slowly to keep it hovering in the air.

Before she even realised it, she had screamed.

"AH!"

In response, The Undying screeched and swung its claws at Fang's head. She immediately submerged into the waters, smartly dodging the attack which otherwise could have taken off her head. There were no records of it, but she hoped The Undying didn't swim, and it would leave when it figured she wouldn't leave the safety of the waters.

Her hopes were dashed when she heard a loud bubbling splash, and she swam furiously to the bank. A clawed hand caught her left ankle and she kicked out with her right leg, hitting square at The Undying's head. With the grip loosened, Fang got away from the creature, swam to the bank and pulled herself out of the water with all the strength she had.

Without even catching a breath, she burst into a sprint. Leaping out of the waters, The Undying screamed and began chasing Fang, its wings beating furiously.

Fang kept running, her sight set ahead and not looking back. Too dangerous to do so, and she feared what she would see. The shrieks and flapping got louder, and her heart raced faster.

Suddenly, claws pierced through her shoulders and she was tossed through the air. She yelled in shock, as she flew across the air. She did not even have the time to react when she hits face-on with a tree in full force. She fell to the ground and slumped against the tree with her back, a searing pain working through her body.

She blinked and blood trickled from her eyes, turning her vision crimson.

_/ Is this the end? / _

The face and voice of a cheerful girl rang in her mind and ears. She didn't want to go, leaving her all alone, but there was no way she could beat The Undying. Her body was now too weak and exhausted, and even if she was in top condition, she could never beat such monstrosity.

_/ I'm just a kid… damn! /_

She watched silently as The Undying slowly descended, watching her.

Fang stared right back, defiant. Yes, if she had to die, she would not allow herself to die filled with fear. That would be such a shame.

A glitter at The Undying's right wrist caught her eye. It was the remnants of a beaded bracelet that belonged to the monster when it was still human. The remaining two beads in sight had somehow escaped the crystallisation. A testament that The Undying used to be a human…

The beads were bright orange, and the craftwork was amateur. It was a bracelet Fang would never forget. She had learnt craftwork from her previous bunkmate, who was excellent at it. Fang never got the hang of it, and her best work paled considerably to even those of decent standards. But her bunkmate accepted it and wore it proudly, because Fang had made it with all her heart, and had tried her best. It was a gift of friendship.

Fang felt her heart hollowed out at the realisation. The initial hard stare softened, and her eyes stung in dampness. Now that she observed, The Undying's distorted face bore the facial features of its past self, the sweet and kind natured woman she used to know.

"So this is what you have become, Maia. An Undying…" she whispered. Sorrow filled her, but gradually anger took over and she gripped her staff.

"You left so you could become like this? Left your home and friends behind… and this is it? A Cie'th, and The Undying at that? Do you hate so much? Even me?" Fang muttered.

The Undying watched silently, but did not attack either. Embedding the staff into the soil, Fang used the support of the staff and got up.

"Hahaha…" Fang laughed in distress at the hard truth in front of her. She had held hopes that perhaps Maia was still alive somewhere out there. The Undying live and breathe, but they were no longer the people they used to be. This was Maia no more, but merely an abomination filled with hate.

"Did you feel hopeless? That you have nothing else in this world?" She gritted her teeth, pulled her staff and with a hard swing, pointed it at The Undying.

"But see this, Maia! I am not like you! I will not give up, and leave behind those who care about me! Not without a fight!" Fang shouted at the monster that was her friend. Chances of winning the fight were virtually zero, but there was no way she could escape, too.

"There is someone… someone in Oerba I want to go back to; I promised her I would," she said quietly.

Gripping tightly onto her staff, Fang stabbed it toward The Undying. With a simple swat, the staff snapped and flew aside. But it was a trick, as Fang yelled and drove her survival knife into The Undying's red crystal core – the weak point of all Cie'th.

The Undying wailed in agony, and clawed through Fang's abdomen before kicking her away. The Undying stumbled, and its wings fluttered slowly and heavily. Whimpering, The Undying's wings managed to lift it up and flew away.

Fang lay on the ground motionlessly, her half-opened eyes staring blankly at the tree canvas. She barely felt pain, but her consciousness was slipping away. The rain continued to fall freely, drenching her.

So this is how I would die, I would never have imagined it, she thought.

Her eyelids grew heavy and trying to keep them open felt too much of an effort. The rain was not helping matters, as they kept dropping into her eyes, compelling her to close them. Completely exhausted and without any form of strength left in her, tears began to flow freely from her eyes.

_/ Vanille… /_

Her eyes closed.


	10. X Reunion

X. Reunion

Vanille gazed at the forest's green canopy as the rain stopped. She looked down at her arms, wrapped around Bhakti protectively to prevent it from getting wet and as a result short-circuited.

She found it hard to keep track with time flow once she left the comfort of civilisation, but Bhakti's programming had been excellent at keeping her feet at the ground. It beamed a small hologram of a clock, showing it was 3:54 in the afternoon and the displayed date revealed it had been a day since they left the Temple.

While Bhakti's map programme kept her from being lost, the robot was not hi-tech enough to sense nearly human and monster presence. In other words, she had to depend on her luck if she wanted to find anyone, or to avoid monsters. Vanille felt at the Binding Rod attached to her belt. So far she had encountered zero monsters but she also had not found any of the lost hunters. The former was a great relief, and she wondered if there was fal'Cie magic in the thing that was keeping away monsters?

The hologram disappeared and Bhakti's eyes turned into a blinking blue, indicating confusion and worry. Realising that Bhakti had sensed her thoughts, Vanille patted its head.

"No, silly you. Of course I'm not upset at you or anything. You are fine as it is! I love you and that will never change, and no hi-tech bot will ever be able to replace you," she said reassuringly.

Bhakti's eyes returned to its normal red and it blinked rapidly in elatedness. It hopped down from Vanille's arms and danced about excitedly, making her giggle in amusement. It was a gift her parents had given her when she was five years old. Her memories of them were vague, but she remembered they loved her very much. They deeply loved Oerba too, and they would often devote much time into the community, and Bhakti was purchased from a city tourist so she could have a companion. Vanille never lacked friends, but Bhakti was a special one. It was a reminder of her parents' love for her, and proof that they once existed.

She looked up again, and through the canopy saw Cocoon. Its altitude was the closest to Oerba, and one could see it much clearer from the village. War with Cocoon killed many people, including her parents. The war killed Fang's parents too, and though she never talked about them, Vanille knew she never forgot. Fang was older than she was by two years, and had more memories of the war that stole so many lives away. But the topic was rarely touched on because it brought back bad memories that Vanille remembered little of.

Vanille always felt a little guilty about that. Was it bad not to hate Cocoon? Was it bad not to remember? If her parents knew, would they blame her for not remembering, and for having a lack of hatred for the enemies who had killed them and taken them away from their most beloved child?

Loud roars and shrieks echoed through the forest, stunning Vanille out of her thoughtful trance. Bhakti became silent as it scuttled back to Vanille's feet. Picking him up and holding him with an arm, she pulled out the Binding Rod. The sounds were distant, but she was nervous and fearful that the monsters could be running toward her direction.

She observed the surroundings nervously and moved cautiously. If only Fang was here… no! What if Fang ran into those monsters? Vanille began to shudder at those thoughts. Part of her wanted to run away and back to the Temple. She would be yelled at and probably punished by the adults, but at least she would be safe. The other part of her, however, wanted her to go on and look for Fang, an act that could get her killed.

Vanille had many friends, but none was like Fang. Despite her occasional teases, Fang was the only one who accepted her for all she was, including her horrible sleeping habits. Because they shared similar backgrounds as well as a bed, they grew close and became the best of friends. They were always together, so much that Reeve once taunted they were like conjoined twins.

"_You are only holding her back."_

The forest seemed to tremble as another round of roars and shrieks echoed, stabbing right into Vanille's heart. She collapsed onto the ground, her legs too weak from fear to even stand.

_/ I should go back… Fang's a fighter… she would be okay… /_

"Yes… let's… let's go back to the Temple…" she muttered. She had been foolish in deciding to run out just like that. She should have listened to Latila. It was simply too dangerous, especially for a defenseless twelve-year-old. She might have the Binding Rod, but she did not even know how to use it.

"Beep?" Bhakti looked at its mistress, its red eyes blinking slowly as though in confusion.

Vanille suddenly felt like a cold gust of wind had punched through her stomach, and before she even realised it she had started running toward the direction from where the sounds came from. Her tears flowed freely, her heart in turmoil. She wanted to run away, but her legs would not obey the commands of her mind that was sending out danger alert signals.

She ran faster, when the roars ceased and became a loud scream instead. She recognised the voice, and that drove her on, even when her mind kept telling her to run away to safety. It was a cry of danger from a voice she could neither ignore nor resist.

She kept running, until her heart could take it no longer and she drew to a painful stop. She crushed onto her knees, and squeezed at her chest. Bhakti gripped tightly onto her tank top to prevent itself from falling off her weakened hold.

The forest had long gone silent, except for the sounds of fluttering wings from the alarmed flying species. But she knew where to go.

Unable to even stand and walk, Vanille dropped Bhakti and started to crawl. Her mind was a blank and her eyes would not stop tearing, as she crawled to the body lying ahead.

Lying flat on her back, Fang appeared to be asleep except for her bloody face, and her body was covered with several scratches, clawing and biting wounds. There also was a nasty gash across her abdomen, which was bleeding profusely.

Vanille cradled Fang's head in her arms and broke down, a pain searing in her heart.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…!" she cried, as feelings of agony and remorse and a deep sense of loss assaulted her.

"So sorry!" she wept, but she knew that no words could bring Fang back. She knew it all along, that Fang had become an irreplaceable existence to her, but she had allowed Fang to go, to die. Vanille hated herself right then; how she thought of abandoning Fang to her own devices and how she only cared about her own skin, when Fang had always protected her.

"_How deplorable." _

Her fists tightened, clutching handfuls of Fang's hair, and their foreheads touched. How could she ever forgive herself for this? How could she ever make up for this? Nothing! Punishment was swift; she felt she had lost an integral part of herself, and that she will never be complete again. The seeds that she sowed…

"Oww…."

The wince surprised Vanille. Her eyes widened but she dared not look lest it be her own imagination. The pain of re-acknowledging a hard truth would be unbearable.

"Let go of my hair… and take your face away, will you? Let me have some breathing space…"

Vanille jerked up, and was stunned to see a pair of beautiful green eyes staring at her. Fang wanted to wave "hello", but lacked the strength to move. Overwhelmed by a rush of feelings, Vanille cried out loud as she hugged Fang's head.

Warmth spreads throughout Fang's cold body as Vanille hugged her tearfully. Single tears rolled from Fang's half-closed eyes, as they stared up at the forest's canopy. She could not help but smile.


	11. XI Second Dawn

XI. Second Dawn

It had felt like forever.

After the fatal fight with The Undying, Fang saw only emptiness. It was pitch black but she could see herself, for her body emitted a heavenly soft glow. She walked around looking for an exit from the distressing black space but there was none; it was an abyss. The light started to fade bit by bit, until the darkness and shadows nearly swallowed her.

Then, she heard a voice - a desperate cry – and glowing drops of water fell from nowhere and onto her cheeks. The next moment, she had opened her eyes, and Vanille was there, crying and yanking at her hair.

On hindsight, Fang realised she was only a step away from death, and it was Vanille who had brought her back. She smiled faintly; it had always been her protecting Vanille, but this time the girl had saved her life.

She didn't remember what happened next because she passed out again. But by the time she regained consciousness again, she was already back in Oerba and that was after two weeks. Many villagers visited her and all had warm words for her. This was what she liked about Oerba – there were no strangers and it was a tight-knitted community that loved and cared for each other.

After another week on the bed, she was finally well enough to leave the bed and walk around but Vanille was behaving a little strangely. She insisted on being Fang's personal nurse and was bossing her around, refusing to let her feed herself or to get out of bed and walk around without _her _help.

Vanille was basically sticking her nose into every single aspect of her recuperation period, and while Fang wasn't mad or annoyed, it certainly was a little embarrassing particularly when the community teased about it. Fang would have reacted, but Vanille would not let her because she might get too agitated and cause the wounds to reopen.

Fang was sitting up on the bed, and Vanille was sitting on a stool beside the bed peeling an apple with a knife. She listened as Vanille updated her on what had happened in the village during the two-week interval when she was in a coma.

Most of the villagers who sought refuge at the Temple had returned to Oerba, picked up whatever they could use as weapons and insisted on leaving to search for survivors. On their way, they discovered Vanille and the injured Fang and helped them back to the village. They also found the corpse of the Behemoth King, and subsequently managed to find some of the survivors. So far, thirty of the lost hunters, including three trainees, had returned. But there was no sign of Reeve.

Fang kept silent. The community chief had been one of the first to visit her, but she was too weak to say anything to him. I must tell him the truth that Reeve sacrificed his life to save mine… I must tell him, even if he would hit me and kick me out of the village, she decided.

Vanille knew something was troubling Fang, but was hesitant to ask because she had her own secrets to hide. If Fang knew, maybe they wouldn't be friends anymore. Maybe she wouldn't even look at her again.

She had been reprimanded severely for running off into the forest on her own, and for stealing the Binding Rod. But Anima had given a rare notification to the priests, saying she could keep the thing, and that spared her from serious punishment. Thank Anima, she thought, but she was at a loss at what to do with the rod. She still had not the time to figure out how to use it.

Vanille did not realise it was her who had spurred the hiding villagers into action. Upon discovering her disappearance and with Latila aware of her intentions, it was too easy to conclude where she had gone. Her action had inadvertently shamed and guilt-tripped the villagers into leaving the safe Temple and to look for survivors.

"No one else returned?" Fang asked.

"No…"

Fang sighed. She glanced at Vanille, and saw that brooding expression again. Something was obviously bothering her, as that troubled look would sometimes crept onto her face.

"What's wrong?" She did not like that Vanille was upset.

Vanille bit her lower lip, looking away. She had been looking after Fang fervently for the past three weeks not only because they were close, but also because she was guilty. If she knew… if she knew…

"I'm sorry…" she whispered.

"Huh?" Fang was confused. Why was she apologising out of the blue? And what was she apologising for?

"I'm sorry…" Vanille apologised again, as she cushioned her face onto Fang's shoulder. She wanted to tell Fang how sorry she was for what she did, but she couldn't. She just couldn't.

"Vanille?" Fang asked gently. Her face felt hot, and Fang felt dampness on the shoulder.

She's crying, Fang realised.

"Sorry… I… I was late in coming for you…" Vanille choked. She had to say something, so Fang would not worry too much. It was the truth yet not the complete truth, but that was the furthest she could offer.

Surprised, Fang smiled faintly as she wrapped her arms around Vanille. So she was upset about that? How silly!, she thought.

"Hey… late was better than never." Fang replied, patting her head. "You saved me."

Vanille shut her eyes tightly, tears rolling down. She couldn't stop crying, and she crawled into the comfort of Fang's embrace. Then she felt a gentle knock on her head. She lifted up her head and came face-to-face with a cross-looking Fang.

"You may have saved me, but I'm still a little upset." Fang said, turning her face away slightly. She knew Vanille had meant well, but that somehow made her sad. "You shouldn't have left the Temple. You should have listened to Latila… it was too dangerous. You could have been killed."

Vanille blinked, and her eyes drifted away to the floor. Guilt rocked her.

"But… I couldn't have left you behind… and I…" Vanille stopped, unable to go on. _I don't want to be so selfish anymore; I want to think for you more often._

"No!" Fang nearly shouted. A sharp pain shot at her abdomen and she bent over, her arms wrapped around it.

"Fang?" Vanille asked anxiously. She tried to check on her but Fang pushed her away gently but firmly.

"I'm all right…" Fang muttered, her eyes shifting to the corner of the bed. The sudden pain seemed to have wakened a part of her, making her realise a truth she had failed to see.

Maia's sudden departure had left a big hole in Fang emotionally. Vanille gradually filled it up, and Fang was grateful to her for it. She wanted to protect Vanille partly because she wanted to make it up to Maia emotionally. If she had protected Maia back then, perhaps she would not have become The Undying. Therefore, she sought to protect Vanille in the ways she should have done for Maia.

Or so she thought.

When she was lost in the forest and felt too despondent to go on, only one thought drove her on. When she was attacked by the gorgonopsids, only one thought made her not to give up. When she faced Maia as The Undying, she made a choice.

Maia and Vanille, they were separate entities with no connections. Always had been that way.

_/ I was a fool... and a kid to have thought otherwise. /_

Fang turned, looking at Vanille who was upset and appeared as though she was fighting her tears. Fang reached over and wiped away the tears on Vanille's face.

"I'm sorry… What I meant was," she paused.

_/ Maia, thank you for everything you've given me. But now I'm no longer a child, I'm ready to step out from your shadow and enter a new chapter of my life. / _

She looked softly into Vanille's teary green eyes; they were so beautiful, and if possible she never wanted to see them in tears again. She held onto Vanille's shoulders gently, and in a soft but determined voice, she said, "I would rather die than let anything happen to you. As long as you are all right, I don't care what happens to me."

Vanille's eyes widened, at a loss for words. She wanted to scream out loud that she wasn't worth all that, but she just couldn't, not after what Fang had said. The words were a comfort, and they sank into her heart with a warmth. She knew she would be forgiven even if she told Fang the truth. But she also knew she cannot get pass it as long as she allowed herself to be protected all the time. To overcome that, I must become stronger, Vanille told herself.

She leaned her cheek onto Fang's forearm and gazed into Fang's tender eyes.

"We will always be together. Everything will be okay, as long as we are together…" she whispered. Fang smiled, her free hand caressing Vanille's soft hair.

"Yes. But if anything happens, just run, okay? Take care of yourself, and be safe. That's all that matters to me. As long as you are safe, I will be all right." Fang said.

_/ Goodbye, Maia… and thank you. /_

Vanille swallowed thickly at the thought that Fang would prefer her to run in the face of danger. But if she runs, then Fang would be all alone… and what if they could not see each other again?

She grabbed Fang's hand and regarded her fearfully. "But you will come back for me? Won't leave me alone? We will always be together, right?" she implored.

"Yes, of course." Fang promised. "No matter where you are, I will always find you."

Fang wiped away Vanille's tears with her thumb. "Don't cry… This isn't like you at all. I like it when you smile."

Not wishing Fang to worry further, Vanille managed a weak smile and nodded, "Okay."

But she knew she wouldn't let Fang go again. Fang, too, had made a promise, and she was determined to have Fang do as promised.

Fang broke into a relieved broad smile. "Come here."

Vanille shifted in and they embraced, cheek touching cheek. As Fang caressed Vanille's long red hair, she made a silent vow that she would protect Vanille forever, and would not allow anything to destroy her happiness.

Vanille sank in the warmth. Yes, they'd always be together.


	12. XII New Dawn

XII. New Dawn

Stars littered the enchanting night sky. A cool breeze sailed through the nearly freezing night air as the monsoon prepared to move in. The blades of the wind turbines continued to spin dutifully, but even the electricity generators seemed to function as solemnly as the village that had built it.

The population of Oerba had gathered in the village square, surrounding a giant pyre that was built for the seventeen hunters that had not returned. The villagers slowly took turns to go forward and place offerings onto the pyre. When the offerings were completed, community chief Geiseric stepped forward with a torch and lighted the pyre.

Vanille shuts her eyes and clasped her fingers, praying for the dead and for those who might be still alive somewhere out there. Fang gazed at the flames that were consuming the offerings on the pyre. Her eyes shifted to Geiseric.

Always a gentle man, Geiseric had been the community chief of Oerba for the past twenty years based on his merits as well as popularity. Despite Fang's frequent fights with Reeve, and with her nearly always injuring him, Geiseric never once confronted her. In fact, he had been kind and understanding, and was known to be self-sacrificial.

Perhaps it was this last trait Reeve had inherited from his father, that allowed him to sacrifice his life. On hindsight, Fang thought she could have judged him too quickly and too harshly. She never really knew him, and regretted she never tried to and would never have a second chance to do so.

Fang confessed the cause of Reeve's death to Geiseric, fully expecting the man to finally snap. Reeve was, after all, his only child who was left behind by his much-beloved deceased wife. But much to her surprise, Geiseric did not blame her.

"_I see… Thank you for telling me about this…" Geiseric said, his eyes lowering to stare at the ground. Fang could tell he was trying to fight back his emotions and tears. She felt she could understand his pain; had she not gone through the same agony when she lost her parents? _

_Lowering her head, she said quietly, "… Aren't you mad at me? You should be… He died because of me."_

_Geiseric turned and looked at her. He smiled weakly but gently at Fang. _

"_No. He made the choice to do so. His passing saddens me, but at the same time he has made me proud."_

_She clenched her fists. "I'm sorry."_

"_Well, don't be." _

_Fang looked up. Geiseric ruffled her hair kindly. In a quiet voice, he said, "If you are, then work doubly hard and live doubly well from now on. Do so for yourself, and in his stead. Do not bear the burden of his death on your heart, young one, but honour his memories."_

_She nodded. She wanted to reply, but tears choked up her voice. She was very sorry for Reeve's death, and was touched by Geiseric's magnanimity. She would work hard, yes. For herself and for the young man who had lost his life to save hers…_

A warmth wrapped around Fang's hand, breaking her train of thoughts. She turned and saw that Vanille was holding her hand and looking at her worriedly.

"Fang?" she asked, concerned that Fang seemed to be out of sorts.

Fang smiled reassuringly. "It's nothing…" her voice faded when she spotted a shadowy figure limping down the sloping walkway leading to the square.

Her eyes widened at recognition. She wanted to yell out but couldn't find her voice. Others in the crowd had apparently also noticed the figure, as they began to whisper and gasp and point fingers. But like Fang, they couldn't find their voice to shout out his presence or name.

"… Dad."

Geiseric dropped the torch in shock. He looked different, but was still largely recognisable. Geiseric shook his head in disbelief.

The young man was a wretched sight. He wore the same clothes as the day he left Oerba, but they were severely damaged by now, and bore a generous amount of dried blood. His hair was long and unkempt, and three vicious claw marks that had healed into terrible scars extended from his face to the torso, effectively leaving him with only an eye. His right knee was slightly bent, while his left arm dangled lifelessly. He had a right-handed firm grip on his gun, his finger feeling at the trigger almost hesitantly.

"Reeve?" Geiseric uttered in amazement.

Appearing to be bewildered and intimidated by the crowd at the square, Reeve remained where he was, his eyes darting about in uncertainty. He registered surprise when he spotted Fang; after witnessing her stubborn refusal to leave during the Behemoth King attack, he had half-expected her to wind up dead.

_/ So you are still alive, huh? You are indeed one tough cookie. / _He thought, a smile curling on his lips.

"REEVE!" Geiseric bellowed. The crowd gave way as he ran past them to his son. He embraced his son. His only child had returned, unbelievable but true.

"Bless Anima! The fal'Cie has returned you to me!" Geiseric cried.

Reeve said nothing but smiled sadly. There was much he had to say.

Fang stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. While glad that Reeve had survived and had managed to return, she could not find the courage to approach him. She also did not have the chance to do so, as Geiseric and some villagers immediately took him away for medical treatment.

There were much excited talking in the crowd, and they were getting hopeful that perhaps the others would return soon, too.

"Hey…" Vanille whispered. She took Fang's hand and squeezed it. "Let's visit Reeve tomorrow."

Fang smiled. "Of course." She paused, "But you are not scared of him?"

Vanille looked confused. "Reeve? No."

Now it was Fang's turn to be baffled. "But he's always bullying you, telling you harsh words."

"Oh that." Vanille smiled in mirth. She looked so smug that Fang was mystified. But Vanille was not telling, and wasn't planning to say anything.

"Well, let's just sleep. We'll need to wake up early to get to him first, or the others will be surrounding him and we won't be able to talk to him," she suggested.

"I'm sure the others think the same…" jests Fang.

"Let's sleep then. You wouldn't want to be last in the line, right?" Vanille grinned impishly.

"Of course."

Fang and Vanille cuddled as they shut their eyes for a night's rest.

Tomorrow could be a good weather.

"Hey. Wake up."

Fang stirred but did not open her eyes. Vanille sighed in content, her right leg hugging Fang's waist comfortably.

Seeing the two girls still fast asleep, Reeve sighed. He stood there, staring at their sleeping figures for a minute or two before he turned to leave.

Feeling his presence, Fang awoke. She tried to sit up but was prevented from doing so by Vanille's leg. She groaned softly, the wound at her abdomen throbbing. Maybe it would be healthier to temporarily ban Vanille from sleeping with me from now on, she thought groggily.

She rubbed her eyes, and in the corner of them saw Reeve at the beaded curtain.

"Reeve?" she blinked in surprise.

Reeve turned. Fang smacked at her head lightly. "What are you…" she started, but stopped when she saw him placing a finger at his lips, signalling her to be silent.

He waved his hand and turned to leave. Understanding that he meant for her to follow him, Fang pushed away Vanille's leg, and pinched her gently at the cheek.

"Wake up now. Reeve's here already," she whispered into Vanille's ear.

"Huh…" Vanille waved her arms deliriously, and Fang had to duck to avoid getting hit. Vanille's eyes opened sleepily and peered out of the small windows. At the sight of the dark sky, she sighed softly and shuts her eyes again.

"Still dark… we've only slept for an hour or two… only twelve midnight… you dreaming…" Vanille mumbled dreamily.

Fang grabbed Bhakti from the corner of the bed and placed it at Vanille's face. Sleeping-mode Bhakti's head functioned as a digital clock with large red numbers.

"It's five in the morning, sleepyhead. Better get up, and don't make any noise." Fang whispered and leapt out of bed.

She did not bother to change out from her vest and shorts. She grabbed her shoes and hurried to the door. She opened it, and took in a deep breath of the fresh morning air that smelled of the sea.

Reeve was standing at the corner of the village square, slightly away from the slope that would lead to the harbour. The morning air was cold but not freezing, so it seemed rather odd that Reeve was draped in a coat; a protective coat for long distance travelling. He was also wearing a pair of travelling boots, and beside them was a small handy travelling pack.

Becoming aware of the fact that he was leaving, her mood plummeted to a new low.

Reeve turned and smiled faintly at her when he heard her approaching. They had not exchanged a word since his return, but Fang knew he had changed. He had not become an entirely different person, but he was no longer the same Reeve she knew. He seemed subdued and more mature, compared to his past loud brashness and confidence. He also seemed friendlier in a way, but it was a mere illusion. Behind those smiles of his, Fang could feel guardedness, as though he was wary of even the scent of the sea and the music of the wind.

She tried not to look at his scars and broken limbs, but it was hard. Given his current condition, where was he planning to go?

As if to answer her unspoken queries, Reeve stated, "Just to let you know, I'm leaving soon."

Fang was not surprised. His apparel and the presence of the bag had given him away. But why?

"Why? You are barely back for a day… Geiseric missed you, and he was in such pain when he thought you were dead…" Fang said, perplexed at Reeve's decision.

"I know that," Reeve lowered his head. "… But last night I've already communicated to him about my leaving."

"How can that be?" Fang could not believe a word he was saying. It didn't make sense that Geiseric would be willing to let his son leave so soon. Reeve didn't even look healthy enough to travel again.

Without saying a word, Reeve pulled up his left sleeve. With his right hand, he lifted his now useless left arm to show it to her. On the left forearm was a complex black pattern made up of many arrows and in the middle of them was a closed eye.

Fang saw this pattern before, both on the Temple walls and on some people who had left Oerba before. The l'Cie brand of fal'Cie Anima.

She stared blankly at Reeve as he pulled his arm away and rolled down the sleeve. Now she understood why he had to leave. He had a Focus to complete.

Reeve nodded. "You already know that l'Cies have a limited time to complete their Focus. You see, over time, the arrows will multiply and reveal the closed eye. When the eye opens fully, it means the time has run out and I will…"

He stopped, but he did not have to go on. Fang knew. That irked her for some reason.

"You... you idiot! What the hell are you still doing here then?" she started to shout. She didn't want to rave at him, but she felt terrible at his fate and was furious he had not gone straight to complete his Focus when the closed eye had appeared on his brand. Didn't that indicate his time was running out?

While the people of Gran Pulse appreciated the fal'Cie and their respective l'Cies, few would want to be an l'Cie. In many ways the l'Cies were sacrificial lambs taken by the fal'Cie, and they'd complete dangerous missions that could not be accomplished by normal humans. The ending results were usually helpful to the general populace of Gran Pulse, and for that they were grateful. But…

Reeve didn't get angry.

"Don't worry, I won't turn into a Cie'th here," he reassured.

No sooner had he said that, a punch landed on his nose, knocking him off balance.

"You jerk ass!" Fang spat, "I thought you've changed, but apparently not so much!"

"What?" Reeve was stunned at the sudden attack and accusation.

Fang clenched her fists so tightly the knuckles turned white. "If your time is running out, you should be rushing to complete your Focus instead of dawdling here! Or are you actually looking forward to becoming a monster for eternity!"

Reeve blinked in surprise. He looked at the livid Fang and finally understood she was concerned about his fate. He lowered his head and stared at the ground, smiling.

"What are you smiling about?" Fang demanded, still fuming at his lack of spurs.

"I'm just surprised… and happy that you cared for me," he replied happily.

"What the…" Fang was stumped by what she saw as idiocy on Reeve's part, but at the same time was embarrassed by his reaction.

Reeve chuckled in amusement. He looked out at the vast sea facing Oerba and took in a deep breath.

"Don't worry… I'm here because Oerba just happened to be on the way."

His gaze drifted from the sea to the wind turbines, the harbour, the schoolhouse and its rooftop garden, the billboards, the oil rigs, the faraway train station… Fang saw the sorrow in Reeve and felt for him. If she was in his shoes, and given the choice, she may not want to leave Oerba too. It was an entire life and all its attachments that an l'Cie had to give up.

"Before coming to you, I've visited all the places in Oerba. Those I frequented, and all those I used to hate," Reeve said wistfully, "Only to realise that, I had not fully appreciated them or anything else in my life."

He turned to look at Fang. "I just want to take a look at Oerba for the last time…"

Fang said nothing. She could not find any words to make him feel better, because both of them knew he would never be able to return home again whether he completes his Focus or not.

"Reeve… I…"

She wanted to thank him for saving her life, but was rudely interrupted by Vanille's cheerful voice a distance away.

"Reeve! YO!"

She sighed. It's very early morning, Vanille, she thought in resignation.

"Hey, Vanille!" Reeve waved his right hand. He smiled at Fang. "Here comes Vanille. Can I talk to her?"

Fang shrugged. "Well, if you want to."

She paused. Something was still niggling her at the back of the mind.

"Come back as soon as possible, okay?" she said, surprising Reeve. "If it's you… I can trust you to take good care of Vanille." In her mind, she cursed Latila for putting the weird idea in her head.

"Vanille?" Reeve was puzzled. Vanille was still putting on her shoes at the door.

Fang growled softly. Did she have to spell out everything? She wasn't pleased at what she had to say, but she wanted Reeve to know he had her trust and approval.

"You were originally going to Paddra City for further studies, right? And you were trying to get Vanille there, right? Argh why am I saying all these… I'm not her mom!" Fang looked away, annoyed at herself.

Realising what Fang was trying to say, Reeve laughed heartily.

"Oh Fang. You are really stupid."

"What?" Fang was starting to show her fists at him when Vanille came running over.

"Reeve!" Vanille grinned. Fang waved her hand and walked away to one side, leaving the two some privacy.

Vanille watched as Fang leaned against the wall of the mill two buildings away. She returned her attention to Reeve.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" she asked. He was badly injured, and still looked pale. She saw his attire and the bag, and from the way he had looked for them at such hours, it wasn't difficult for her to deduce he was leaving. She didn't understand why, and felt sad he was going to leave.

"Better than I appear to be." Reeve replied. He gazed at Vanille and felt a sore regret. She was a very nice girl, but he had never treated her well. "Vanille, I… I just wanted to apologise."

"Hmm?" Vanille wondered.

Reeve scratched his head. "What I said to you before the Hunting Party…"

"Oh…" she nodded, remembering.

His face reddened and he had a hard time looking at her. "My dad told me what happened… how you left the Temple and found Fang…"

He clenched his fists. He had to say it. It's either now or never, and he did not want to leave any regrets. Mustering his courage, he looked up and held her gaze.

"I am sorry for everything I've said and done to you. You… you are not deplorable as I said you were… and you certainly won't…" His eyes drifted to the waiting Fang, a bittersweet feeling arising in his heart.

"… You are the only pillar she needs in life, and I know you will always be there for her, as she would for you…"

He paused for a moment. "You will always be with her, right? You will always take care of her?"

"Of course. We will always be together." Vanille replied cheerfully. Knowing that Reeve felt bad, she moved to clarify. "I've never blamed or hated you for any of those things you've said. I know you treasured the same thing as I do, and I'm happy about that."

Reeve blushed. So Vanille had perceived his secret.

She looked at the waiting Fang and at him again.

"Have you told her?" she asked.

"Hah," he chuckled in embarrassment, "Don't want to get another punch. She hits really hard."

"But…"

"Don't worry about it. She's got you, and that's enough." Reeve smiled. Then he added mischievously, "And keep a tight leash on her."

"Huh?" Vanille didn't understand.

He chortled. "Never mind that."

He stepped forward and patted her on the head. She smiles at him, albeit a little sadly.

"I wish I can be as strong as you are, Reeve. And as brave as you…" she muttered, her eyes drifting to the clouds above in the sky. She stared momentarily at Cocoon before averting her eyes away from it. If the Behemoth King's appearance was indeed caused by Cocoon, she had no idea how she should feel for it. She felt a mix of the usual detest and a bit of… gratitude. It was wrong, but it made her realise something really important and she couldn't help but be thankful about it.

"Vanille?" Reeve was concerned about her long silence.

She shook her head. She had made a promise to become stronger but the truth was that she did not know how to go about it.

"I can never become strong enough to protect Fang… she…" Vanille broke off. She very nearly burst into tears. Reeve punched gently on her head.

"Hey, are you stupid or what? Protection isn't necessarily throwing your life away to save your loved one. Doing that can actually hurt the one you love."

In a lower voice, he whispered, "Trust me on that. I've got experience in this."

"Reeve..." Vanille thought of how Fang and Geiseric agonised over his supposed death. She was beginning to understand a little but the whole concept was still rather murky.

Reeve sighed and stole a glance at the waiting Fang. He pinched at her cheek gently and grinned cheekily.

"Huh?" Vanille blushed, confused at what was going on. Fang was starting to straighten up, leaning forward to get a good look and he lets go, just in case she ran over and punches him, again.

"You already are protecting her, silly." Reeve smiled, "As long as you keep smiling and being happy and safe, you are protecting her."

Vanille blinked in surprise. "Is that… true?" she asked shyly, but deep in her heart she knew Reeve was right. In fact that was exactly what Fang had told her.

He nodded reassuringly at Vanille and added, "Don't worry about it, Vanille. It will come to you sooner or later. I'm sure you will figure out your own way, as both Fang and I did."

She slapped her forehead. "Gee, you knew her better than I do! I'm totally embarrassed!" she laughed sheepishly, her cheeks blushing.

"That comes with lots of observation." Reeve replied smugly.

"You mean stalking!" Vanille jokingly slapped him on his right arm. "It feels like the old you is back!" she chuckled, wiping a tear from her eye.

Reeve smiled, his single eye twinkling. He patted her head again.

"Thanks."

He paused.

"And goodbye."

His hand slipped off and he picked up his bag. He limped away, to continue on his journey in completing the Focus.

Vanille stood there watching him leave. Fang walked over and was concerned when she saw the lost expression on Vanille's face.

"What did he say?" Fang asked. Although she did not think Reeve had said anything mean, she was still curious, partly due to what she had said to him prior and because he was knocking Vanille's head and pinching her cheek.

Vanille smiled at her. "Not much. He's just a nice guy who's really worried for you."

Fang tilted her head and frowned in puzzle. She looked at Reeve, who was already on his way up the slope to Oerba's exit and made a decision. Vanille smiled when Fang sprinted away.

Fang ran up the slope and grabbed at Reeve's coat collar. He looked back in surprise.

"Fang?"

Letting go of the collar, Fang looked at him straight in the eyes.

"… Thanks for saving my life back in the forest. I mean it… if you hadn't done so, I'd be dead," she said sincerely. She extended her hand and offered, "Friends?"

Reeve was pleasantly surprised. He never thought there would be such a day; they had been fighting as long as he could remember. In appreciation he grasped Fang's hand and shook it.

"Yeah, friends." He smiled.

"YO, REEVE!" Vanille shouted as she jumped up and down, waving her arms, so that Reeve could see and hear her. "See ya! Come back soon!"

Reeve grinned and gave her a thumb's up.

_/ I will try my best! /_

He glanced at Oerba once more before he broke into a sprint. Fang waved as she watched Reeve disappear into the mountain trail.

_/ Take care… /_

The sun began to rise.


	13. XIII Final Night

XIII. Final Night

A young woman stood in front of a shop, staring at a cactuar doll in the display window. She was tall and her limbs toned, and her tanned skin complemented her long wild black hair. She wore a long red skirt and a white sleeveless shirt with a black sash across it, which held a long sturdy spear on her back. A gold and black embroidered armband was tied around her right arm.

The man, in his mid-twenties, liked what he was seeing and decided to approach her.

"Hey lady."

She turned, and saw the man smiling at her.

"My name is O'ala Tenn Banenorane. What's yours?"

The woman raised a brow. But since the man had already offered his name, it would be ill mannered of her not to give the same respect.

"Oerba Yun Fang," she replied.

"Ah. From Oerba," the man beamed, "Haven't been there but I've heard it's a very beautiful place, with an awesome sea view."

He quickly added on, "Do you suppose I can buy you lunch?"

"I'm not hungry," Fang answered, returning her attention to the cactuar doll. She frowned. It seemed ridiculous a doll like that should be selling for 35,000 gils. But it's cute, I would give it that, she thought.

"Umm, how about I show you around the city? Paddra is very exciting!" he tried again. Since she was from the countryside, he figured this was her first time visiting Paddra, one of the largest and most prosperous megalopolis in Gran Pulse, and thus could be easily impressed.

Fang turned to face him, an amused smile on her lips.

Like all other cities, Paddra had countless numbers of skyscrapers, and people lived in high-rise apartments. It was almost ridiculously huge; Fang had barely covered even a third of it despite been at the city for a week. Paddra also was practically bombarded with billboards, bright neon signs and commercial holograms.

But the city was built mainly for economical purposes, so there was a lack of fun value. Fang personally thought Paddra was far from exciting, and for all intents she was very nearly bored to tears. And although she had adjusted to city life very easily, she didn't exactly like a concrete jungle, and was in fact beginning to ache for Oerba and its priceless natural scenery.

She sighed unintentionally. As the chief hunter, it was her job to travel to various cities and towns to secure supply contracts for Oerba's hunters. At least in Paddra she didn't have to spend any money for lodgings since Geiseric's sister lived there; living costs in cities such as Paddra were unbelievably high.

Fang walked over to the motorbike parked at the sideway, sliding on the gloves and putting on the helmet. She hopped onto it and turned on the engine.

"Not really. I've had quite enough of the city." Fang replied as she stepped on the accelerator and zoomed away.

The huge bridge at Oerba was filled with excitement. A group of youngsters were at the tallest height of the bridge for a fishing competition, and a crowd had gathered to watch. The high popularity of binding rods had paved the way for mass production, leading to lower prices and affordability and resulting in fishing trends throughout Gran Pulse.

The youngsters cheered and wolf-whistled as a lovely young woman thrust her binding rod, and four wired hooks sped out, attaching themselves to a passing wyvern.

"Go go! Get it!" the youths screamed.

Fang was riding on her bike on the bridge when she saw the commotion. She wondered when would those kids learn the bridge was for vehicles, not fishing. She stopped her bike and watched as the young woman pulled and tugged skillfully at the binding rod, completely manipulating the now restricted movements of the wyvern. It would not take much longer to complete the capture of the wyvern.

The wyvern flapped its wings madly to get free, but the hooks' grip was tight and it was slowly pulled closer to its captor. Fatigued by the struggle, the wyvern's flapping weakened and it was swiftly pulled to the bridge floor with a loud "thump".

The crowd clapped and cheered for the capture of the wyvern. Fang got down from her bike and placed her hands on the hips, smiling. She had to admit there was at least some entertainment value in this sport.

"Yaaaay!" The captor was delighted. The wyvern was the biggest catch of the day and that would have made her the champion of this year's fishing competition. In their excitement, nobody noticed the infuriated eyes of the wyvern save for Fang. Recognising the danger, she burst forward.

"Watch out!" she shouted, to the crowd's surprise.

The wyvern suddenly swung its now uncontrolled wing at its captor. Fang immediately dived, pulling the captor down to the ground, and the wing missed narrowly.

"Vanille! Are you all right?" Fang asked anxiously as she looked at the frightened young woman beneath her.

"F…. Fang!" Vanille stuttered in shock before crying out, "The wyvern!"

The wyvern had stood up on its feet and was beating its wings furiously at the dispersing crowd. Fang got up and from her pouch pulled out a syringe – every hunter's basic necessity in these days.

"Vanille, control the thing!" Fang instructed as she ran toward the mad wyvern.

"Okay!" Vanille nodded as she gripped onto her binding rod and began to pull on its wires.

The wyvern howled as the hooks' grip tightened onto its wings again, restricting its movements. In a quick step, Fang jumped onto the back of the creature, her arms wrapped around its thick neck, and her legs squeezing at its abdomen.

The monster squawked, shaking its body violently. Fang maintained her balance well, stabbing the syringe needle into the wyvern's neck and pushed the plunger.

The drug took immediate effect, as the wyvern's wing beating weakened. Losing its consciousness, the wyvern began to fall, and Fang jumped off it just as it crashed to the bridge ground. She examined the unconscious beast, nudging its head with her foot.

"Fang!" Vanille called out, running over to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. No problem!" Fang replied coolly as she removed her helmet. She kept it on just in case the wyvern managed to throw her off. A serious knock to the head could be disastrous.

A tall and well-built man with graying hairs jogged over, a machine gun in his big hands.

"Fang!" he barked.

"Oh, Geiseric!" Fang felt her heart sink. Had he seen that? She felt worse when Vanille gave her that "you-are-so-screwed" look. Vanille squatted down and began to slowly unhook the grips from the unconscious wyvern, while some villagers came over to help carry away the creature for the final kill and harvesting.

Geiseric smacked his machine gun hard against Fang's helmet.

"You bumbling idiot!" he yelled, "Have you any idea how dangerous that is? Fancy jumping onto the wyvern to try control it!"

_/ Shit. /_ Fang thought, as she gently elbowed Vanille who was trying hard to withhold her giggling. Ever since Reeve left, Geiseric had treated Fang as his own daughter; in simpler words, Reeve's replacement for the "occasional" scoldings. Geiseric was a very strict disciplinarian, and Fang for the past six years had been receiving the rough end of the stick.

He waved the machine gun at her face and gestured to some other villagers who had arrived with their own weapons.

"See that? We will deal with the wyvern if the situation gets out of control. We are always on standby whenever there's fishing activity. You don't have to do such a risky thing."

"Umm… that was…" Fang stammered, completely overwhelmed. Whenever Geiseric was angry, somehow he just looked as big and as threatening as the Adamantoise. "I am very experienced at having control…"

"You think? You are just lucky!" Geiseric hissed in disapproval. "Remember how the catches always throw you off, breaking a bone or two in the process? You want to be confined to the bed for months again?"

"The 'always' had stopped since two years ago! I've been doing excellent since then!" Fang protested with a blush. Why must Geiseric remind her of those awful times? She thought it was exciting to be able to get onto an avian creature and fly on it, the best adventure a binding rod could promise, but it would be suicide to say that to Geiseric's face.

"Yes, but you didn't have a parachute and full riding protective gear with you today." Geiseric folded his arms and tapped his feet impatiently.

Fang knew when she was beaten. She hung her head in resignation.

"All right. What's my punishment, sir?" she sighed.

She blinked when Geiseric smiled and ruffled her hair roughly.

"Punishment, Ma'am, is that you drop by the square early in two hours' time." Geiseric turned and walked away without explaining.

"Huh?" Fang was confused. Vanille tugged at her arm with a laugh.

"So you've really forgotten!" Vanille grinned.

"What is it?" Fang smelt something fishy.

"It's your birthday!"

"Oh!" Fang was surprised, but at the same time was touched that Geiseric remembered. A villager shouted out.

"Hey Fang! Come help us with this thing!" he called, referring to the wyvern. Fang waved her hand to acknowledge the request, and Vanille lets go of her.

"Well, see you this evening then! The village's best cook Edimmu will be putting on her apron for you, so you'd better show up!" Vanille said cheerfully as she skipped back to the village.

Fang waved, smiling.

Fang arrived early and helped Edimmu to prepare the food. Birthdays in Oerba were celebrated with the entire village, where they gather at the square for good food, entertainment and communication. Villagers will then give the birthday boy or girl hugs and words of blessings. Fang didn't get any presents, because they were usually only given by the most significant people such as parents, children or spouse; Geiseric gave her a hard slap on the back. Other than that, it rarely felt different from the usual community food gathering.

By night time, the huge pot of food in the centre of the square was very nearly empty, and the numerous singing and dance numbers had exhausted many villagers. Vanille was sitting with some kids, playing with their hair as they played with hers. A boy of six slept comfortably in her arms while another little girl rested her head on Vanille's lap.

Some villagers had also begun sleeping, but most others continued to stay awake to talk about the most recent events and hottest topics/gossips.

But which topic could be hotter than the wars with Cocoon? Times haven't been good for the past few years, as the troubles with Cocoon have escalated into a full-blown war. More enemy l'Cies have dropped into Gran Pulse either spying or wrecking havoc, and the enemy fal'Cies were also stealing more and more resources. They used to come only periodically, but these days they were appearing almost every other week, freaking out the people.

Gran Pulse was thick in suspicion and fear, and a segment had been calling out for blood, thus the declaration of war. Some cities, including Paddra, had sent giant aircrafts filled with armies of automates to attack Cocoon. The media often flashed out news alerts on the results, which were often as bad as they were good, and they rarely got past Cocoon's outer shell. When they did, communications were often lost and nothing ever returned.

Fang remembered those holograms of war slogans she had seen and heard in Paddra. Better them than us, the advertisements had cried out. They were also flashing out recruiting advertisements for hunters and volunteers to help in the capture of the most dangerous monsters in Gran Pulse such as the Behemoth King and the Adamantoise, so the beasts could be used to attack and destroy Cocoon.

Some people had even set up a group dedicated to finding the Arks, legendary facilities that were said to be built by the fal'Cie for the construction of weapons of war. It was also said they were used as a training ground to make l'Cies stronger. It was only a legend, and nobody had ever found something like that, but Fang supposed the legend served to lend strength in faith during such difficult times.

But as usual, the fal'Cies of Gran Pulse were nonchalant and did not seem to care about the stolen resources or the invasion, or the retaliation war the people of Gran Pulse had initiated. It was as though they allowed things to happen, and that they do not care which side would win.

Fang thought when it comes down to it, them humans may only have themselves to depend upon.

"But we will be safe, because we have Anima." The comely cook Edimmu remarked optimistically.

Fang hissed in disagreement, and all eyes turned to her. Vanille, who was seated beside her, felt unsettled with all the eyes staring their direction. Not all were friendly. She looked uneasily at Fang.

"I don't think so. Don't you think the conflicts are actually getting closer and closer to our doorstep now?" she fumed. "The other day a Cocoon fal'Cie just took away a neighbouring town. That town was under Anima's protection too… I don't see him doing anything about that."

Murmurs went through the crowd. There were voices of agreement, but also disagreements.

"The fal'Cies care." The village elder said calmly as he sipped on his glass of old wine.

"But they never did anything to protect us and our hard work…" Fang gritted her teeth.

"We must have faith. Didn't we have our own l'Cies fighting the l'Cies of the vipers? If that was their Focus, that must mean our fal'Cies care." Another villager opined.

Fang had no argument against that, but she was still unconvinced. Nobody had provided a good reason why their fal'Cies never defended anything when their counterparts from Cocoon came. Vanille reached over and gently squeezed Fang's hand. She shook her head.

"We will never understand what the fal'Cies are thinking, for they are of a divine nature. Maybe they have a greater scheme of which we do not fall under." Geiseric suggested.

"That last line sounds confusing, Geiseric!" Edimmu said almost crossly, putting her hands on her hips. "How can we be excluded when we are affected by everything the vipers do and we are the source from which fal'Cies get their l'Cies? Say something we can understand, please!"

The crowd laughed.

The boy in Vanille's arms stirred and opened his eyes. He looked a little disoriented, so she hugged him and patted his head. He yawned, grabbed Vanille's hand for comfort and began to count the stars.

"We are much safer than you think, Fang!" Latila called out from the other side. She pointed up at Cocoon, which remained highly visible and bright during the night. "See? We at Oerba are one of the places that's closer in distance to the vipers, yet we have always been safe."

"Well…" Fang was stumped yet again. It was one of those days when she could not find the words. How annoying.

"Hey… Vanille…" the boy mumbled. "Hmm?" Vanille smiled affectionately at the boy.

"The stars are moving," the boy said, his eyes transfixed to the starry night sky.

"Silly boy," Vanille giggled, "Stars don't move."

"But it is!" he sulked, unhappy that Vanille did not believe him. He pointed up to the sky. "Look! That star is moving! That blue one!"

Vanille looked up. Curious, Fang looked up too.

Something sparkling blue was moving in the sky, but it wasn't a star. It wasn't an aircraft either, for they'd have heard the engines or seen the exhaust smoke.

Astonished, Fang jumped to her feet and Vanille slowly stood up, her eyes fixed to the moving thing in the sky. Wondering what was happening, the crowd looked up too.

Slowly, the blue thing became larger as it closed in. The villagers' eyes widened in shock and fear when they recognised what it was.

"Good Anima! It's a viper fal'Cie!" a villager yelled out, dropping his bowl to the ground.

The villagers began shouting in panic, waking those who were asleep and yelling at each other to hide or run for their lives. Fang stepped protectively in front of Vanille, whom the children held tightly to in fear.

"Calm! Calm!" the village elder tried to pacify the villagers but to little success. The village square was in an uproar, and some were beginning to argue among themselves whether to take up arms or not.

"We… we fight it if it comes here!" a man yelled bravely, grabbing a nearby shovel.

"We are no l'Cies! How can we possibly fight against a fal'Cie and win!" another rebutted.

"Wait! Look, it's stopped!" Edimmu shouted with a wave of her arms. Her shout caught everyone's attention and they stared at the sparkling blue fal'Cie, which had stopped moving, halting directly above the forest that grew beside Anima's Temple.

Not quite, Vanille thought as a tremor ran through her body. She looked down at the ground where the tremor came from and she took a quick glance at Fang. The dark expression on Fang's face told her she was not the only one who felt it.

CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.

The earth shook and the cracking sounds echoed through the cool night breeze. The villagers yelled out as some of them fell from the worsening tremor. Confused and scared, the boy in Vanille's arms began to cry and she hugged him tightly, covering his eyes with a hand. Fang pulled her close as they watched the horror.

The fal'Cie's grip-like "hands" shook and glowed with crackling energy. Loud swooshes screamed and as it lifted up its heavy arms, the entire forest was uprooted.

The forest that was the size of Paddra and Haerii cities added together. The forest where Oerba sourced most of its Yat'qa leaves from. The forest where Oerba's hunters had hunted for dozens of generations.

At first dumbfounded, the villagers began to scream and shout in shock and anger when the Cocoon fal'Cie started to glide upwards with the forest. Fang and Vanille stared in silent astonishment as the fal'Cie and the stolen forest vanished into Cocoon.

Oerba sank into an eerie and uncomfortable silence, as the villagers gaped at Cocoon. The atmosphere was a mix of shock and disbelief. They knew all along that Cocoon's fal'Cie often steal resources from Gran Pulse, but none of them had seen or experienced it before.

One of the villagers fell to his knees, tears rolling down his cheeks. His body trembled and he hits his fists at the ground hard, repeatedly.

"Damnit! Damnit damnit damn them!" he bellowed in anguish.

Fang glanced indignantly at Anima's Temple, which had rested beside the forest, the area of which is now a barren land; the accursed Cocoon's fal'Cie had not even spared a blade of grass.

Fang could not get pass the fact that Anima had taken no action when the enemy fal'Cie simply stole land right at his doorstep. The land that was important to Oerba, which for generations had been protected by Anima.

Whatever happened to his protection?

She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.

The boy wrapped his arms around Vanille tightly, burying his hot wet face into her neck. Shaking in fear by what she had witnessed, Vanille grabbed Fang's hand. Fang squeezed Vanille's hand to reassure her, but could not take her enraged eyes off Anima's Temple and the barren ground where the forest used to be at.

"Worst birthday ever," she whispered in bitterness.

The villagers could not leave the square; for some reason they felt compelled to stay. Thus they had sat quietly around the now empty and cold pot for two hours since the theft. The mood was sombre, graver than when a fellow villager passed away. They had not only seen the enemy fal'Cie, but also witnessed it stealing one of their most important resources. It was a harsh reality that was extremely difficult to swallow.

Morale was at a low, and the village elder decided to break the silence. He recited in a low voice, "Two l'Cies from the North will receive the Focus to bear the burden of the Beast... Ragnarok."

The villagers looked at him in puzzlement. The village elder slowly swept his eyes through the villagers, holding their gaze one by one.

"This is an age-old prophecy… about The Chosen l'Cies who will destroy the viper's nest and lead Gran Pulse to victory. They have not yet appeared… but with the intensifying conflicts, it may well be the time soon. And by then…" the elder's words broke off as the villagers began talking in excitement.

"The vipers will be destroyed!" Latila cried out, jumping to her feet. "We must pray, and wish for their coming! They _**MUST**_!" she screamed, and the passion of her hatred infected the rest of the villagers, who also jumped to their feet and shouted out in rage against their enemy.

"The fal'Cies must give us The Chosen!" the villagers yelled. As if to make an official plea, the villagers turned to the Anima Temple and shouted in its direction.

"The Chosen!"

"The Chosen!"

"The Chosen!"

Vanille was so taken aback by the feverish chanting she nearly fell off her stool. Fang barely noticed, because she too, had leapt to her feet and was yelling away.

"The Chosen! The Chosen! Destroy Cocoon!" Fang shouted at the top of her voice. Never had she felt so much anger and hatred at someone or something. Cocoon had stolen so much from Gran Pulse that she did not see how there could be any other way to settle the debts.

Better them than Gran Pulse; it was a slogan Fang could not agree more with. Vanille's tears fell when the emotions hit her. The chanting was not merely filled with wrathful hate, but also with fear, hope and a strong desire for deliverance from evil. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed, wishing quietly upon a star that peace be restored to Gran Pulse.

Geiseric remained stoically quiet. It was true there was such a prophecy, that two chosen l'Cies would bear the Focus and power to destroy Cocoon. Was this reaction from the villagers what the village elder wanted? It was hard to tell, as the old man's expression was impossible to read. He observed the chanting villagers and had a sense of foreboding, for there was a follow up prophecy the elder had not mentioned.

_/ Ragnarok took wing to smite Cocoon, so as to deliver Gran Pulse everlasting peace, but the Goddess pitied the people of Cocoon, and so robbed Ragnarok of power, putting the l'Cie to an early crystal sleep, Focus yet incomplete… / _

Geiseric shuts his eyes tightly. Those were the words of seeress Paddra Nsu-Yeul, inked down to immortality, highly unpopular due to obvious reasons. Why would the Goddess defend evil, critics had argued. The sermons of which it was written down in, was thus banished into the forbidden archives of the library in Paddra, never to be seen again.

He could not say these out loud. He could not remind them of such a damper and destroy the villagers' hopes… not after an important source of their livelihood had been ripped out and taken away right in front of their eyes.

_/ Hatred is sometimes necessary… for humans to carry on living, with hope. /_

The village elder puts up his hand and the chanting ceased.

"We shall retire for the night now. Tomorrow morning we will visit the Temple, and plea Anima for The Chosen."

"Yes!" The villagers were elated. They were sure if they asked with sincerity, Anima would relent and present them with The Chosen, who would deliver them from the evil of Cocoon.

As the villagers began to disperse, Vanille looked at Fang and asked worriedly, "What do you think, Fang? The Chosen ones… Are they for real?"

Fang considered. The North. Oerba's in the north… She strolled to the harbour and sat down on the stairs, leaning against the stone wall. Vanille sat beside her, leaning her head on Fang's shoulder. They sat there silently for hours without exchanging a word, as they gazed at the sea's horizons until the sun began to rise.

A tug at Fang's arm broke her out of the trance. Vanille was smiling at her.

"Let's cheer up. Everything will be all right," Vanille asserted. Fang could only smile and nod in appreciation; Vanille had practically sat there with her for the entire night just to keep her company.

"Oh! I nearly forgot about this!" Vanille pulled out a white package from her pocket and opened it. A rainbow necklace, similar to the one Vanille always wore but much simpler in design, fell from the package onto her palm.

She raised her hands and Fang lowered her head instinctively, allowing Vanille to slip the necklace around her neck.

"Happy birthday, Fang." She whispered into Fang's ear and lightly kissed her cheek.

Fang grinned happily as she fingered the necklace. "It doesn't resemble yours."

"Heh." Vanille giggled, "Yeah. But I know you don't like such elaborate designs." She added almost smugly, "There's my leash on you."

"What?"

Vanille took Fang's hands and held it to her heart. "That we will always be together. Don't forget that."

"Of course." Fang beamed. The happy mood probably wasn't appropriate given last night's events, but Fang couldn't help it.

"Let's go." Vanille held Fang's hand and was beginning to lead her away when they heard a voice.

"You two…"

Fang and Vanille looked and were surprised to see Latila shaking her head at them.

"Geiseric thought you two were with me. He's worried." Latila sulked.

"Uhh…" Fang and Vanille were at a loss for words, as they looked at each other in embarrassment.

"Don't want to part?" Latila teased good-naturedly. Despite what had happened with the forest, Latila was not upset at the happiness displayed by the two. If anything, it lifted her spirits to know that Cocoon had not succeeded in destroying the little happiness left in Oerba.

"Don't be silly!" Fang retorted.

Latila laughed. She removed a camera from her pouch. "Come now, you two. Let me take a photo for the occasion!"

"What occasion and why should…" Fang didn't understand but Vanille was excited at the prospect of taking photos. "OH! I like taking photos!" Vanille exclaimed, pulling at Fang's arm, "Is that a new camera, Latila?"

"Yup. SonicHyper8501, the latest camera innovation. My fiancé bought it for me in Haerii," Latila boasted smugly.

"Aren't they all the same?" Fang mocked in good fun.

"You are so technologically impaired," Latila insulted in return. "Now stand together and let me take a photo of the birthday girl and her soulmate!"

Vanille posed happily, while Fang placed a hand on her hip and looked away coolly. SNAP!

"Good one. I'd have protested at Fang's pose had it been anyone else, but that's just so her so I'd let it be." Latila smirked, carefully tucking her camera back into the pouch. "By the way, let's go and help out Geiseric. He needs help in transporting the offerings to the Temple."

"All right." Fang said, stretching her limbs. Her body felt stiff after sitting at the same position for hours. Her mood had darkened at the mention of the Temple, as it reminded her of how Anima had not defended Gran Pulse from Cocoon's transgression.

"Fang."

Vanille's voice interrupted her train of thoughts. Vanille smiled sweetly and offered her hand. Fang smiled, and squeezed Vanille's hand.

"Let's go."


	14. XIII2 Always Together

XIII-2. Always Together

There was a commotion in the village square. Tension, apprehension and also excitement filled the air, as many villagers crowd around the square so that Fang, Vanille and Latila could not see or figure out what was going on.

Geiseric saw them and waved. "You three. Come over." He called out.

The three young women looked at each other in bemusement and hurried over.

"What's up, Geiseric?" Fang asked, looking at the crowd curiously.

As she came closer, she saw three figures wearing white hooded robes in the centre of the square, surrounded by several villagers.

Vanille jumped up and down, and finally caught sight of a complex black pattern on the back of the white robes.

"The Temple's priests! They are here!" Vanille whispered, keeping her voice low in respect for Anima's priests.

"What? Is it because of what happened last night?" Latila asked in an equally small voice. "It's well about time they do something!"

Geiseric shook his head at the restless young women.

"You three best listen to what they have to say."

Curious at what was going on, the three squeezed their way into the crowd. The three priests were benevolent-looking men, two of them appearing in their thirties while the other in his forties.

"And that's it." The priest in his forties finished.

Disappointed that they had missed whatever the priests had to say, Fang raised her hand. "Please, kind sir. My friends and I just got here. Could you please repeat the good message?" she requested politely. She may bear misgivings and resentment against Anima, but it was necessary to remain polite.

The priest nodded obligingly.

"All right. As I was saying, the wars with Cocoon have been troubling, and the conflicts have greatly wounded the natural course and well being of Gran Pulse. Therefore, Anima has decided to recruit l'Cies for the war against Cocoon."

Fang, Vanille and Latila looked at each other in complete surprise. While the fal'Cies made humans l'Cie every now and then, an official recruitment was unheard of. Anima must want a large supply of l'Cies, Fang thought.

"Yes," one of the younger priests continued, "Anyone willing to join will be considered eligible. Age, gender and class don't matter. All the person needs is the willingness and courage to fight for Gran Pulse." He paused, before adding, "To destroy the viper's nest."

The crowd had heard it before, but they were excited to hear it again. Many hands shot up.

"Me me! I'm going!"

"I'm going too!"

"Me too!"

"I'm first in the line!"

Fang, Vanille and Latila looked at each other.

"I'm not going. Definitely not. I'm getting married soon, and I plan to have a dozen kids." Latila shook her head. She couldn't leave behind everything. She knew she didn't have the courage for that. She looked at Fang and Vanille.

"Well? What about you two?" she asked.

Vanille shook her head, unsure. While she would love to protect Gran Pulse, she wasn't sure if she wanted to become an l'Cie. She glanced at her fellow villagers who were volunteering themselves, and wondered if they had considered their possible fate as an l'Cie, the cursed servant of the fal'Cies.

But Fang had already made up her mind.

"I'm going to be an l'Cie."

Vanille's eyes widened at the declaration, but Latila appeared unsurprised.

"I know you would do that, Fang." Latila sighed.

Vanille felt like crying. She grabbed at Fang's hand and pulled her out of the crowd and away from the priests. Latila followed.

"Fang! You can't become an l'Cie! You do know what that means, right?" Vanille pleaded.

Fang knew Vanille was referring to the fate of l'Cies, but that didn't matter to her. What truly matter for her was the fate of Gran Pulse and Vanille. She could not sit around doing nothing while the enemy tramples on Gran Pulse and Oerba. One day, they would trample on Vanille too… She could not let that happen.

She cupped Vanille's face in her hands.

"Remember what I said before? I don't care what happens to me, as long as you are all right. I'm going to protect Gran Pulse, protect you… and everyone else. If sacrificing my life means eternal peace and deliverance from the serpent, then it's all worth it. That's why I'm going to be an l'Cie."

"No…" Vanille whimpered. She didn't want Fang to go… They made a promise to be together forever. She can't leave her behind. Becoming an l'Cie and joining in the war would be too dangerous… What if Fang gets hurt? What was she supposed to do if anything happens to Fang?

Geiseric watched on, saying nothing. Fang's decision was as predictable to him as it was for Latila. There was never a second option for her. It was in her, the fighting spirit and sacrificial courage.

"Very well, follow us to the temple then." The priests were heard saying.

It was time.

She tightly embraced Vanille. This could be the last time they see each other. Their cheeks touched and Fang had to control her furious wave of emotions to keep from breaking down.

"Take care…" she whispered, kissing Vanille's nape. She lets go of Vanille and looked at both Geiseric and Latila, the two people she trusted most in Oerba.

They nodded in understanding. No words were needed. Fang knew they would take good care of Vanille in her absence.

Without hesitation, Fang turned and ran after the group that had left with the priests. Vanille tried to grab at her but Fang was gone.

She wanted to run after Fang but her feet were rooted to the ground. Latila hugged Vanille to comfort her but she was inconsolable. Vanille found it unbelievable – Fang had only returned to Oerba from her city trip yesterday, and they had only just celebrated her birthday and spent the night together at the harbour… and now she's leaving, never to return again.

Was everything just a dream?

"_We will always be together. Everything will be okay, as long as we are together…" _

"_Yes. But if anything happens, just run, okay? Take care of yourself, and be safe. That's all that matters to me. As long as you are safe, I will be all right." _

"_But you will come back for me? Won't leave me alone? We will always be together, right?" _

"_Yes, of course. No matter where you are, I will always find you."_

Vanille clenched her fists, her tearful eyes fixed on the disappearing group. She knew that was a promise Fang would not be able to keep.

The journey was a walk, signalling a pilgrimage. As Fang travelled with the group, another pair of priests leading a group of willing participants joined them.

So they've gone recruiting at other towns too, Fang thought, wondering if the other fal'Cies in Gran Pulse were also recruiting humans for the war? But then again, Anima was the rare one that ever showed any form of care and kindness toward humans.

She thought of Vanille and felt a painful bitterness. Leaving her behind was unbearable, but that was for her own good.

_/ A person like her deserves to be happy, always happy. She deserves none of the pain and sorrow Cocoon has inflicted on us… I will protect her happiness along with Gran Pulse. /_

"Miss Fang?"

Fang turned at the unfamiliar voice. A young man from the other group appeared delighted to see her, and he jogged over.

"What a coincidence, Miss Fang! Didn't expect to see you! So you've decided to become l'Cie too?" he asked excitedly.

Fang studied him; she did not recognise his face and voice. But he knew her name! How?

He noticed her silence and lack of reaction, and realised she did not remember him. He chuckled awkwardly.

"Erm, I'm O'ala Tenn Banenorane. We talked briefly in Paddra." He tried.

"OH. You." Fang finally remembered him - the man who tried to buy her lunch. She looked at him, puzzled. "O'ala town is to the far west of Gran Pulse… what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I was going to Oerba, but I missed the train stop and went to neighbouring Zandor instead." He paused. "I saw what happened last night…"

Fang nodded, not commenting on last night's horror. It would only make her angry and she didn't feel like getting more upset than she is right now. But she was curious about him joining.

"So… how come you are joining? Don't you have family back home?" Fang asked.

Banenorane's face saddened at the question. "… I no longer have one, Miss Fang."

"What?" Fang was surprised.

"A few months ago, a fal'Cie from the serpent's nest stole our farmland… My people couldn't survive past the winter because of that… they froze to death…"

Tears brimmed at his eyes. "I was the only one who escaped that fate because I ran away from home to Paddra." He looked up at Fang and forced a smile. "Ironic, isn't it?"

Fang felt sorry for him. Even if she could not feel his pain, she could understand it. If the same was to happen to Oerba… She stroked his back comfortingly.

"Don't worry. We will become l'Cies together, and destroy those serpents so they would never be able to hurt anyone again." She said with such determination that Banenorane nodded, impressed by her courage.

As they walked on, the Temple began to reveal itself in its full glory. The priests stopped at the gates and turned to the excited people.

"Be quiet and remain respectful at all times." They instructed.

The excitement died down in obedience. Fang felt her heart beating fast as the holy gates opened. She had gone to the temple several times before with her fellow villagers to make offerings, but she had never expected to go there one day to become an l'Cie. She stopped dead at her tracks, allowing the others to enter first.

_/ Vanille… /_

"Come on now." A priest gently tapped on her shoulder. She looked up and saw that they were the only ones left. The priest was probably waiting for her so he could close the gates.

"Sorry", she apologised. I shouldn't think so much… Vanille will be all right with Geiseric and Latila taking care of her, she thought. She looked up at Cocoon and her resolve hardened.

_/ Better them than us. I will protect Vanille, and everyone else with my own hands. /_

She was about to enter through the gates when a familiar voice called out.

"Wait! Wait for me!"

_/ No way! / _Fang whirled around in disbelief.

Vanille was running toward them. She ran over and grabbed at the surprised priest's robes. "I want to be an l'Cie too! Is that okay?" she asked almost too excitedly as she tried to catch her breath from all the running.

"Vanille! What do you think you are saying?" Fang was stunned. "You can't be an l'Cie!"

"Oh yes, I can!" Vanille replied defiantly. She patted at the long fur sash she wore around her waist. "You remember this one, don't you? I made it from a bear I defeated on my own during our previous Hunting Party." She turned to the priest and emphasised, "I can fight!"

"Umm okay…" The priest was a little confused.

"That's not what I meant. You are not going to become a crystal OR a Cie'th." Fang glared at both the priest and Vanille. She'd hit him if he lets Vanille in! "And I'm not letting you risk getting killed in the process of the war. You've got friends back in Oerba, so stick to them. Geiseric and Latila will take good care of you…" She faltered when realisation struck her.

_/ Damn Geiseric and Latila…! They let her come! /_

"I can fight," Vanille repeated, "And Latila has promised to take care of Bhakti in my absence…"

"That's not what I meant!" Fang began to shout in exasperation. "You've got to be safe! I told you I don't care what happens to me as long as you are…!" She could not finish her words because Vanille suddenly grabbed her arm.

"But you promised! Promised that we will always be together!" Vanille cried. "We will always be together! I don't care how! No matter as crystal or Cie'th, we will always be together!"

"Vanille…" Fang did not know what to say.

"It's pointless if you are not around. So, I want to come along with you and you can't say 'no'!" Vanille touched the rainbow necklace around Fang's neck. "Don't leave me alone… please…"

Vanille looked like she was going to cry, and Fang knew there was no other way around; even if she chased Vanille away now, it was likely she would just come back at a later time. She looked at her rainbow necklace, and then at Vanille's, and remembered their promise. Her eyes softened, and she took Vanille's hands and smiled resignedly at her.

"All right then… What else can I say," Fang relented, and Vanille smiled brightly as the clouds cleared in her heart. The best way to keep her safe is that we stick together, Fang thought. She sighed unintentionally when she felt a secret pleasure that Vanille would be tagging along. This way, they will not be separated.

"But promise me you will listen to me, especially if I tells you to run." Fang insisted.

"Okay!" Vanille replied cheerfully. She would agree to anything as long as Fang allows her to stick along, but whether she would comply was entirely up to her own discretion. Yeah, I make the final decisions, she thought slyly, pleased at herself.

Fang was suspicious of that eager agreement but decided to let it slide. She would push and shove Vanille away to safety if necessary.

The priest was getting tired of the drama. He stepped into the temple and regarded them carelessly. "Come along now that the two of you have settled your issues. You shouldn't make Anima wait."

Fang and Vanille followed the priest. The temple's interior was much larger and more spacious than it appeared from the outside. Every footstep echoed, and beautiful beams and crystals of light floated in the air. The temple was built and maintained by the sheer magic of the fal'Cie Anima.

They walked up flights of stairs, and were getting tired when they came to an enclosed area, where an elderly priest was waiting at a tall sturdy gate.

The younger priest bowed to him, and promptly left the area.

"You are late, favoured ones. The others had finished the ritual…" the elderly priest spoke in a hoarse voice. He stepped forward, and Fang saw that he was much older than he appeared a distance away. His face was extremely wrinkled, his eyes were bulgy, and he barely had any brows and facial hair.

Fang frowned. The guy must be ancient, she thought. Next to her, Vanille was nearly scared out of her wits upon glimpsing the old priest's face. She had never quite seen anyone looking like that before, not even their village elder who was in his eighties.

"Anima has been waiting for the two of you, favoured ones…" the priest croaked.

"Favoured ones?" Fang narrowed her eyes skeptically. There were two interpretations for people chosen as l'Cie – favoured and accursed. It depended on how the individual sees it, and as the priest of Anima, it was probably normal for him to think it as favoured. But Fang sensed a deeper meaning.

The elderly priest pointed at the Vanille's binding rod, which was attached to her fur sash. "The bearer of Anima's gift, and," he regarded Fang, "The one who received his gift of mercy from The Undying."

"What?" Fang was startled. The priest was hinting at something very important, and she was still trying to work her mind around it. But one thing she was sure, the priest had strongly indicated that it was Anima that saved her from Maia. She remembered how Maia's Undying form had been unusually tame and easy to deal with… considering she was a very young human at that time and should have been relatively easy for The Undying. Can it be true, she wondered.

The doors opened with a soft swoosh. The priest signalled Fang and Vanille to follow him into Anima's throne hall. As they walked through the long corridor, the echoes weighed heavily on their hearts.

"Keep your mind still and your emotions calm." The priest advised serenely, "Remain calm at all times, for emotional and mental instability such as a great shock or fear could accelerate the progress of the l'Cie brand. If it is bad enough, it can immediately turn you into a Cie'th the moment you become branded."

Vanille bit her lower lip. Fang was unfazed, because she had a goal in mind and she planned to fulfill it.

The priest stopped at a large door. He turned and faced them, perhaps for the last time.

"Step in for an audience with Anima, favoured ones."

He touched their foreheads gently. "Blessed are you." He began to walk back into the area where they came from. As the doors shut behind him, the doors to the throne hall began to slowly open.

Fang and Vanille stepped inside, and the doors shut behind them. The room was large but dark, and they could barely see anything, not to mention Anima. The room was so quiet they could hear their hearts beating.

They knew what they had to do. They knelt on their knees and lowered their heads in silent prayers.

"We'd always be together, forever…" Vanille whispered.

"And we'd go home together…" Fang breathed.

They looked at each other and nodded, grasping each other's hand tightly.

A white light washed over them.

_We would be all right as long as we are together… Together, forever. _


	15. Epilogue

Epilogue

He picked up the photo frame from the table.

The photo showed a cheerful red-haired young woman and standing behind her was a black-haired young woman coolly facing aside.

He lowered his head. Whatever had happened to Gran Pulse during his absence?

When he came around, the surroundings had changed. Wildlife and nature had taken over the cities and towns he used to know. Even the prosperous Paddra and Haerii were deserted and in ruins, their communication networks no longer working.

All signs of roads and pavements had disappeared, with nature growing over them. As a result he have had a hard time returning to Oerba.

But Oerba was irrecognisable. Gone were its once beautiful forests, abundant flowers and grass fields. Crystal dust covered the region, and the dilapidated village was as lifeless as Paddra and Haerii.

On his way back, indications of human existence were nil. What remained behind of the once great human civilisation were merely the ruins and the still operating automates, which had deteriorated to the point whereby it could barely differentiate friend from foe.

Even Cocoon looked different. It had a clear large crack on its shell, and the exposed part emitted an eerie green light that he didn't feel comfortable looking at for too long.

Teardrops fell onto the photo frame.

"What happened…?" he whispered.

Pain seared in his heart and spread throughout his body. He trembled as the pain of loss invaded him. He fell to his knees.

"Dad… Fang… Vanille… Everyone…"

He stared at the faded photo, his finger touching the frame.

"BEEP…"

He turned at the sound of the weak but familiar beeping sound. It was a small robot in peeling paint and rusty metal. The red lights it had for its eyes blinked weakly in recognition. It beamed out a hologram, showing a still photo of Fang and him, where he was lying on the ground in an awkward position.

He couldn't help but laugh, even if his laughter was choking with tears.

"Yeah, it's me, Reeve. Glad to know you are still around, Bhakti."

He went down on one knee and patted Bhakti's head. He quietly turned the switch behind the robot's ear, setting him into sleeping mode. Except that nobody would be around to wake him.

But Reeve knew why he had done that. It was a small hope he kept in his heart. A tiny hope that perhaps someday, someone would come here and reactivate the little thing. Sleeping mode would minimise battery use, and Bhakti would probably be the closest thing to a living being that would be the evidence of human civilisation – the proof that there once were humans in Gran Pulse and that Oerba and its people once existed on this great land.

Reeve stood up and set the photo frame back onto the table.

He left the communal house and felt a heavy weight at his heart when he saw the creatures lurking in every single corner of Oerba. His return journey to Oerba was difficult, but it was even harder to navigate his hometown because countless Cie'th had overrun it. Where had they come from? There were so many of them it was almost ridiculous. He wondered if the fal'Cies had turned the entire village into l'Cies, but that was too impossible a thought.

He turned to the direction where the Temple used to be.

Only an endless field of crystal dust. Where could the Temple have gone?

He touched his left forearm, where his l'Cie brand used to be. Freed from his crystal stasis and with his brand gone, he was no longer an l'Cie. His broken limbs were also completely healed, enabling him to live a normal life. But all of that proved to be meaningless when he was the only human left in Gran Pulse.

Reeve sneaked to a hidden corner and pulled open a secret compartment. He smiled wistfully at the sight of an old friend. He pulled out the motorbike and wondered if it still works. He turned the key and stepped on the accelerator. The engine slowly whirred to life. He smiled.

"Good old buddy."

He hopped onto the bike and sped off, zooming past the Cie'th that tried to go after him fruitlessly. He wanted to visit all the buildings in Oerba, but it was impossible when the Cie'th had occupied them. There was only place left to go.

He skillfully manipulated his bike, secretly glad he had not lost his skills. He rode his bike until he got to the bridge, but it had become rusty and had broken off in the middle of the track. He stopped his bike, and got off it.

He went to the end of the bridge and took in a deep breath. The refreshing air was still the same… but everything else had changed. From the bridge he looked over the forsaken land and village. He smiled sadly at the sight of the still spinning blades of the wind turbines. They continue to generate electricity for the people that had built them, but those people no longer exist.

_/ And I, I've returned to a home where nobody waits for me… /_

What does the future hold for the world now?

He sat down, his legs hanging loosely over the broken end of the bridge. He stared out at the vast horizons ahead.

THE END


End file.
